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Olobd D^tctire Series. No. 9. P'ebruaiT. 1888. Issued Monthly. Subscription $4.09. 
Copyright, 1888, by Rand. McNally & Co., Chicago. Entered at 

the Post Office, Chicago, as second class matter. ^ - 


UNCLE SAM’S BAD BOYS 


j 


OR, 


LEAVES FROM A DIARY OF 

A POST OFFICE INSPECTOR. 


BYRON D. ADSIT. 

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PREFACE. 


During the summer of 1881 I was appointed chief 
clerk of the salary and allowance division in the Post 
Office Department, in Washington, by Postmaster- 
General James. My principal duties were to pass 
upon the applications for additional allowances for 
clerk-hire in the various post offices throughout the 
country. My instructions were to grant, reject or 
reduce on the merits of the case alone, regardless of 
friendship, politics or political pressure, and, as can 
easily be inferred, to avoid errors of judgment, such 
a task required a vast amount of study and an ever- 
lasting diligence, especially as the requirements of no 
two offices, with similar receipts, are alike. 

Indeed the work of placing the several million dol- 
lars annually set apart for this purpose so that no of- 
fice entitled to its share will have too much and none 
too little, and so that equal justice can be clearly de- 
monstrated, is very delicate. It was then, and is now, 
done regardless of any system or classifications, and 
no person, however familiar he may be with the needs 
of a great and growing service, or how far removed 
he may be from the influence of designing strategists, 
can ever hope, under present methods, to reach even 
a feeble apology to perfection. Postmasters and the 
requirements of the offices, like the sands of the sea, 

7 


s 


PREFACE, 


are constantly changing, and, therefore, the work of 
an efficient, observing officer in this position is never 
done. 

Toward the close of 1882 I had become very tired 
of official life in Washington, as most active persons 
do sooner or later, and requested Postmaster-general 
Howe to relieve me. He appreciated the situation 
and asked if I would not like to be an Inspector, add- 
ing that he thought such a position would be more 
to my taste. I had fully determined to bid farewell 
forever to government service, and should have done 
so then only for Colonel Parker, the Chief Post- 
office Inspector, who finally persuaded me to join his 
efficient force. I was accordingly appointed an In- 
spector on January 1, 1883, by Mr. Howe, and, having 
already had a good schooling in Post-office affairs, I 
entered upon my duties unusually well equipped for 
excellent service. 

Whether I misused my advantages, or allowed my 
energies to relax, or permitted the excellency and im- 
partality of my work to fall short of the expectations 
of friends and acquaintances, is not for me to say- 
The record speaks for itself. I ought perhaps to state, 
however, that I served acceptably through the ad- 
ministrations of Postmaster-generals Howe, Gresham, 
Hatton and Vilas, retiring on February 1, 1888, after 
five years and one month of probably as active and 
thorough service as was ever rendered in the same 
capacity. 

My duties were usually pleasant, and such as 
seemed well suited to my taste. The particular work 
to which I was generally assigned always had a 


PBEFACE. 


9 


peculiar interest in it that all people like, and surely 
I am not the exception. There is an irresistible charm 
attacherd to the work of unraveling mystery that is 
acknowledged by people in all classes, and, so strongly 
endowed with this peculiarity are most persons, that 
life would be robbed of many of its pleasures were 
they bereft of it. No man is perfect unless the bump 
of investigation is full. 

Days and weeks have I spent trying to fathom some 
mystery of great moment, and, in the end, if success- 
ful, the bare fact that I had succeeded was glory 
enough; and I would look back upon the time spent, 
and even the unpleasant features of the work, as does 
a child upon the pleasures of a summer holiday. 

The short sketches I have hastily drawn, which 
will be found in the following pages, have not been 
produced for the purpose of illustrating any superior 
skill, which I know I do not possess, but simply for 
the pleasure of reproducing a few truthful pictures 
of curious people and interesting circumstances from 
many originals now in my possession. 

The subjects were good. If the reproductions are 
poor, the fault is with the brush. However, should 
they meet with a pleasant recognition from friends, 
or serve to soften the monotony of a lonely hour for 
others, under whose charitable eyes they may chance 
to fall, then “ Uncle Sam’s Bad Boys ” will not have 
been introduced in vain ; and then the aim and am- 
bition of the author will have been attained. 

B. D. A. 


New Yobk, May, 1888. 



CONTENTS 


Introduction. 

The Bennington Case, 

John Stringham’s Visitors, 

A Lover’s Revenge, . 

The Amateur Author’s Friend, 

The Wages of Sin, . 

Wiley, Miss O’Connor and McAfee, 
Johnson and Jansen, 

Mrs. Stone’s Money-order, 
Thermometers and Barometers, 

The Force of Habit, 

Blinkey Morgan and the Kid, . 
The Perry Rubber Works, 

An Accomplished Thief, 

Jacob Snyder’s Test, 

Professor Curtis, of Syracuse, . 

An Awakening at Alvin, 

Caught with a Scrap of Paper, . 
Van Zandt and his Wives, 

Black Art in Cincinnati, . 

My Nellie’s Blue Eyes, . 

Removed by Death, . 


11 

27 

35 

39 

47 

53 

67 

71 

83 

93 

99 

119 

127 

133 

137 

149 

157 

165 

173 

181 

191 


THE BENNINGTON CASE. 


There was little that Inspector Bassett did not 
know about the methods of conducting a post-office. 
In the matter of accounts he was excelled by none 
and equalled by few. I used to think he was so 
expert that he could tell by looking at a postmaster 
whether or not the accounts of his office would balance. 
Bassett was active both in mind and body, and there 
was seldom a false motion or figure he would not 
catch instantly ; and so good was his record at the 
Department in this respect, and in all others, that it 
was often remarked that nothing could escape him. 
The reputation had been earned, and, as I have said, 
it was most admirably sustained. 

In his customary business style he stepped into the 
post-office at Bennington, Vermont, one day about 
noon, for the purpose of checking up the accounts of 
the postmaster. The postmaster’s name at that par- 
ticular moment was Thomas J. Bronson, to whom the 
Inspector introduced himself in the usual manner, 
and added that he had called to look over his books, 
inventory the stock on hand and make him a pleasant 
visit. Bronson, after telling Bassett that he was very 
glad indeed to meet him, and delighted to think he had 
called to look him over, suggested that, as it was so 


12 


THE BENNINGTON CASE. 


near the dinner hour, perhaps they had better go and 
serve the inner man before they attempted to work the 
mental man ; adding, that had he known he was com- 
ing he would have told Mrs. Bronson, so that her 
table would have been prepared for one more than 
usual. The arrangement was satisfactory, and Bas- 
sett went to the hotel and Bronson to his home. 

It was not long, however, before the Inspector had 
returned to the office, where he was chatting with the 
clerks, momentarily expecting Bronson. At length 
an hour had passed since his return, and still no sign 
of Bronson. Could he be sick? One of the clerks 
went to his residence to ascertain, and soon returned 
with the information that Mrs. Bronson had informed 
him that the postmaster ate lightly and returned to 
the office much quicker than usual. Where could 
he be ? 

Inquiry was made at the hotels, stores and shops, 
and no one had seen him. The news of his remark- 
able disappearance spread to every corner of the 
town, and every idle person joined in the search. 
Finally, a farmer drove in on the road leading from 
the south and observing the unusual activity on the 
streets, asked what was up, and when he was informed 
that Bronson could not be found, he imparted the 
thrilling intelligence that, at a point about two miles 
from Bennington, he “ met two men in a carriage, be- 
hind two horses, driving like the deuce, and unless 
he was all-firedly mistaken one of the fellows was 
Tom Bronson.” 

This so electrified the people of Bennington that 


THE BENNINGTON CASE, 


13 


tliey scarcely knew what to do or, which way to 
turn ; and one of them told me afterward, when de- 
scribing the scene, that while Bassett was quizzing 
the farmer in front of the hotel, he appeared dazed 
at what had occurred, while everybody was crowding 
closer to catch the conversation. There had been no 
such excitement in Bennington since the fall of 
Sumter. 

Recovering slightly from his unconsciousness, 
the Inspector ordered the fleetest steed in town, and 
was soon pursuing the fleeing postmaster in hot haste. 
Arriving at Hoosick Junction, the nearest railroad 
station in that direction, Bassett learned positively 
that Bronson had left on a train bound eastward, 
which passed about half an hour or so before. Time 
was precious. He could be intercepted at North 
Adams. Bassett was at home working the telegraph, 
and when the operator at North Adams settled down 
to take the message that Bassett was furiously firing 
at him, he thought that old Ben Franklin himself 
was at the Hoosick Junction end. The train came 
too soon for tlie excited operator, and, before he could 
execute the command, it had gone, and with it Bron- 
son. When the cheerless intelligence was wired 
back to Mr. Franklin at Hoosick Junction that the 
man described was not on the train, Bassett closed 
the key with a bang and turned towards Bennington 
with a heavy heart. This was his first disappoint- 
ment, and, although it had occurred through no fault 
of his, he would rather have lost anything, every- 
thing, than Bronson. 


14 


THE BENNINGTON CASE. 


Bronson had lived in Bennington all liis life, and was 
now probably forty-five. He was a friend to every- 
body and e verybody was a friend to him. No stronger 
illustration of this condition was ever known. His 
friends were everywhere, and, had he told them he was 
in trouble, his wants would have been quickly sup- 
plied. But he did not, neither does any one know to 
this day the real cause of his misfortunes. 

The finances of the post-office were found to be de- 
cidedly out of tune, and when Bassett was through he 
could see quite plainly why Bronson had suggested 
dinner before business. It was also discovered by the 
school trustees, to whose board Bronson belonged, and 
for whom he had acted in the capacity of treasurer, that 
there was also a discrepancy in the school fund of a 
few thousand. When these facts became known, 
every man in Bennington wore the aspect of a 
mourner. Surprise and pity walked hand in hand. 

Bassett worked assiduously and faithfully for 
months searching for Bronson. Both in and out of 
Bennington — everywhere was he hunting for clues. 
Frequently he thought he could place him, only to 
find nothing when the theory was exhausted. Yet 
with all his efforts and disappointments he never 
wearied. At length it occurred to him that if another 
person could be detailed to aid him — some one who 
was an entire stranger in Bennington and vicinity — 
good results might follow. I was the one selected, 
and, after having been told by Bassett all he knew 
about the case, I quietly turned up in Bennington. 


THE BENNINGTON CASE. 


15 


Of course I could not tell you, in a short story like 
this, the many and interesting details of my work in 
Vermont. My object was to find somebody, some 
friend of Bronson’s, who, in an unguarded moment, 
might drop some little word that would possibly re- 
veal the secret of Bronson’s whereabouts. It was 
not the work of a day or a week, but of months. No 
one knew my right name, and no one knew my real 
business. I never talked of Bronson, but I listened 
intently whenever his name was mentioned, and also 
tried to be on familiar terras with those who liked to 
talk about him to their associates and townspeople. 

I learned quickly that only a few, if any, of his old 
companions actually knew where he was. His wife 
and child might know, though there was not the slight- 
est evidence that they did. The mysterious hiding- 
place was, I sometimes feared, beyond the grave. In 
my intercourse with the people, however, I had 
settled one fact conclusively, and that was that Bron- 
son had for years expressed a desire to live in the far 
west, and he had told several persons that when he 
did decide to leave Bennington he should settle on a 
ranch somewhere. Could he have followed his in- 
clinations, and was he not now realizing the antici- 
pations of his better days ? 

One beautiful evening in the early autumn the 
first ray of success dawned upon a long and patient 
waiting. I had been told by one who knew that 
Bronson was alive. Who it was that told me, or 
how the secret came to be told, no one save Bassett 
and myself knows. The person who imparted the 


16 


THE BENNINGTON CASE, 


in formation is to this day unconscious of it, and 
should he read these lines he would be unable to 
recall any instance or circumstance that would serve 
to brighten his recollection. I also learned a little 
more than that Bronson was alive. I ascertained 
beyond a question that he was actually on a sheep 
ranch in Colorado. I did not think it possible for 
me to obtain anything more specific, and, having 
faith that this would answer, I hastily sought an 
interview with Bassett, promised to meet him ten 
days hence in Denver, and, turning my face toward 
the setting sun, followed the course of the Star of 
the Empire. 

Entering Colorado from the south-east, clad in a 
festive suit of corduroy, with a sombrero and Smith 
and Wesson attachment, I set forth among the ranches 
and ranchers, wool buyers and commission men, with 
a good photograph of Tom Bronson. Some of the 
journeys were long and tedious, yet, sustained by 
faith, which some days was a trifle faltering, I pressed 
on for seven days without meeting a man, woman or 
child who had ever seen a person that looked like 
Bronson, or who had ever heard of him. Partly for 
the purpose of rest, but chiefly for the purpose of 
meeting Bassett, I went to Denver, where I arrived 
with no information of importance to impart, except 
such as pertained to ranches and the sheep industry 
generally. 

During the day in Denver we learned from an 
extensive wool buyer that many people from Vermont 
are engaged in raising sheep and wool in the vicinity 


THIU BENNINGTON CASE. 


17 


of Fort Collins and Greeley. AVe were also informed 
that it would be a very easy task to ascertain 
whether or not our man was in the Greeley region, 
as the sheriff at Greeley was an old ranchman as 
well as a buyer, and his business now was such that 
it enabled him to continue well posted on the import- 
ant question of ranches, ranchmen and herders. 
We immediately proceeded to Greeley, and I will 
relate what occurred after we arrived. 

In our room at the hotel we met the sheriff and 
the postmaster for consultation. The postmaster 
was confident he had seen a face that resembled 
Bronson’s. The sheriff was equally confident that 
he had not, but he knew of a man, who owned a 
ranch, and who lived about fifteen miles to the east 
ward, who formerly resided somewhere in Vermont, 
that would know Bronson if there was such a man 
in this section of the State. He said if the case was 
his he should go straightway to this man, and, if he 
did not know him, he did not think it would be much 
use to spend more time around Greeley. We ac- 
cepted the sheriff’s kind advice. 

Arriving at the ranch, where dwelt the man who 
was supposed to know it all, we obtained very little 
satisfaction indeed. It was the oft-repeated tale I 
had heard a hundred times or more. He didn’t 
know, but he thought somebody else who lived about 
twenty miles north could put his finger on the very 
man, and, of course, we drove twenty miles farther 
to be informed that he never saw, heard or dreamed 
of such a person. He suggested that we call on a 


18 


THE BENNINGTON CASE. 


certain physician in Greeley, who could give us 
“ straight tips ” on Vermont people in Northern 
Colorado. “The doctor,” he said, “once resided in 
Vermont, where he was a very prominent man. Re- 
cently he engineered a New England dinner given 
in Greeley, at which there were more than two hun- 
dred guests, who at one time or anotlier had lived some- 
where in the Eastern States.” “ If I was looking for 
anybody from Vermont in this part of the country,” he 
observed, “ I should call on the doctor, for he knows 
where they all are.” We returned to Greeley late 
that night and decided to see the doctor on the fol- 
lowing morning. 

The doctor informed us that while he was living 
in Castleton he knew Bronson well. Had not seen 
him in ten or twelve years, that he knew of. Had 
read in the papers about the trouble at Bennington, 
but had never seen anybody before who thought Bron- 
son was in Colorado, much less in this section. Was 
very positive he was not at the New England dinner. 
Upon reflection he said it did occur to him that there 
was a stranger there who came with some one from 
Fort Collins, but his name was not Bronson, though 
possibly it may have been Bronson under another 
name. If it was his case he should go over to Fort 
Collins and hunt for the stranger who was at the 
dinner. We decided not to hunt for the stranger 
till we had first talked with every person in Greeley 
who had formerly resided in Vermont. We procured 
a list of these people from the doctor, a part of which 
Bassett took, and the other portion fell to me. We 


THE BENNINGTON CASE. 


19 


were to see and talk with every one of the people 
named. 

The first name on my list was that of a Mr. Child. 
He owned a comfortable little home in town and a 
farm just outside. I went to his house, where I met 
Mrs. Child and her daughter ; the husband being ab- 
sent, but expected back soon. Much to my surprise 
she told me that she used to live in Bennington ; that 
she and her husband and their little son, who was now 
the village telegraph operator, moved from Benning- 
ton about fifteen years before ; that they came to 
Greeley because in every deed given for property 
here there is a clause which binds and "prevents the 
purchaser, his heirs or assigns from ever allowing a 
drop of liquor to be sold on the premises for any pur- 
pose, She told me she knew Mr. Bronson quite well 
in Bennington, and that her husband had been on in- 
timate terms with him. 

Presently Mr. Child came. He was exceedingly 
courteous, and every inch a gentleman, well informed. 

He remembered Bronson distinctly. Saw him every 
day for years and sat with him in the same lodge in 
Bennington long, long ago. The picture did not look 
as Tom used to. Time had left a few wrinkles here 
and there ; the face was, perhaps, a little fuller and 
the silver hairs that could be seen were not there 
then, yet he thought he would recognize it as Tom 
Bronson. He had taken the Bennington paper ever 
since he came west and was very familiar with all 
that had happened in Bennington, especially all that 
had ever been mentioned in print. 


20 


THE BENNINGTON CASE. 


He did not think it could be possible that Bronson 
was in the vicinity of Greeley, yet, like the post- 
master, the more he reflected the more and more he 
believed he had seen that face somewhere within a 
short time. Besides being very entertaining, the 
Child family was giving me more information than 
any people I had met, and, feeling that I should not 
hurry away, at least for manners’ sake, I remained to 
dinner. The family and myself were* enjoying a so- 
cial visit, as well as a feast of good things prepared 
by Mrs. Child, when suddenly the lady, looking across 
the table at her husband, said : “ Father, do you re- 
member that at the time Mr. Carter called and spent 
the evening here, about six weeks ago, he related the 
story about a man coming to one of the ranches, 
owned by Currier, in which Mr. Carter has an in- 
terest, who wanted to hire out to herd sheep ? ” 

Mr. Child did remember that Mr. Carter told a story 
about such a man, but his recollection as to what he 
said was very indistinct indeed. 

I remember,” continued Mrs. Child, “ that he said 
the man said he was from New England, and that he 
had come west to learn all the details about the sheep 
and ranch business, so that in a year or so he would 
be prepared to buy a ranch and follow the business 
on his own account. I remember also that Mr. Carter 
said they thought he had seen better days, and that, 
partially through pity, they employed him ; he proved 
to be a valuable herder, and, at the time Mr. Carter 
was here, the man was still on the ranch.” 

I had become deeply impressed with the story of 
the strange man, and instantly asked where the 


TEE BEENINGTOE CASE. 21 

ranch was located, and where Mr. Carter could be 
seen. 

“ The ranch,” said Mr. Child, “ is about twenty 
seven miles from Greeley, hut I think Mr. Carter can 
be seen at his store, which is about three blocks 
distant from where we are now sitting.” 

I could scarcely wait for dinner to be over before I 
asked Mr. Child if he would not be kind enough to 
take Bronson’s picture around to the store and quietly 
ask Mr. Carter if he ever saw the man the picture 
represented. “ If he answers in the affirmative,” I 
said, “ simply ask him what his name is and where he 
may be found. Do not tell him why you ask.” 

The family, as well as myself, awaited with great 
anxiety Mr. Carter’s reply. But the suspense was 
brief, for, we had scarcely withdrawn from the table 
before Mr. Child returned in great haste, and with 
barely breath sufficient to say : “ That’s your man. 
His name is George Hastings, and he is now at 
Currier’s upper ranch.” 

Where was Bassett ? I must find him without 
delay and tell him the good news. Glancing up the 
street I saw him coming, and as he approached he 
asked in a happy manner if I intended to spend all of 
the remaining autumn and winter months with the 
Child family. I answered that if the length of niy 
stay was measured by the information I had gathered 
here, in comparison with my success at other places, 
I would remain with the Child famplj till spring, at 
least. 

I then proceeded to break the news to him gently. 
Although he had known me a long time, and had never 


22 


THE BENNINGTON CASE, 


known me to deceive or tell a lie, it was necessary on 
this occasion for me to have my statements verified 
by every member of the Child family and some of 
their neighbors before he would accept them. He 
had been around all the forenoon with a lot of Ver- 
monters who had never heard of Bronson, and the 
result was that he had become decidedly skeptical. 
He soon recovered, however, and we set about pre- 
paring for the trip to Currier’s upper ranch. 

It was about three o’clock when we got away. A pair 
of small horses, a two-seated light wagon, and a cheer- 
ful driver accompanied us. We expected to make 
the distance in about three hours when we started, 
but by the time we had made the first four miles it 
was very apparent to the anxious passengers that it 
would require about three days with fair winds. The 
horses were too small, too weak, too slow, and just a 
little too lazy to win golden opinions from strangers ; 
but it should be said to their credit that the roads 
were sandy. The driver was the best informed man 
— excepting Mr. Child — that I had drawn into con- 
versation in Colorado. Only for his ceaseless flow of 
wisdom, and Bassett’s sweet melodies, I would have 
given up in despair and thrown myself overboard. 

At half-past seven, the man on the forecastle an- 
nounced a light ahead, and, when he informed us it 
was at Currier’s, there was great rejoicing. You, 
who know how deceiving distances are in that country, 
will not be surprised when I tell you that we did not 
reach the light till nine o’clock. It shone from a 
small window in the only house for many miles 
around. It was the only beacon by which mariners 


TitE BENNINGTON CASE, 


23 


Oil the boundless prairie guided their frail craft at 
night, and, as before stated, it was Currier’s. The 
little rude domicile was the home of the superintend- 
ent of the ranch, and it was here that the herders 
partook of their morning and evening meals, while 
their flocks were secured in the corrals near by. We 
drove as closely to the house as possible, without 
attracting attention, while Bassett stole up softly 
through the darkness, to get a look through the win- 
dow. He returned hastily and announced : “ He is 
there, leaning back in his chair, against the wall on 
the opposite side of the room, peacefully.smoking.” 

Could it be possible that the object of our search 
was now within our reach ? It seemed as if there 
must be some mistake as there had been so many 
times before. But no ! Bassett says he is there and 
that he’s wearing the same happy expression that he 
wore away with him, the first and only time he ever 
met him. “ Come, we must go in and apprise him 
that the time has come for him to leave the ranch.” A 
moment later we had entered without knocking and 
Bassett was standing face to face with Bronson, who 
appeared almost speechless with surprise. 

“ Bronson,” said Bassett as he was reaching for a 
pair of handcuffs, “ don’t you know me, and don’t 
you think it is about time you returned from dinner ?” 

“Yes,” said Bronson, “ I recognize you. You are 
the last person I could forget,” and, as he raised his 
hands to receive the iron wristlets, he added, “ and 
you have not looked for me with more anxiety than 
I have for you. I’m glad you’ve come, and I’ll go 
cheerfully ” 


24 


THE BENNINGTOy CASE. 


Besides those I have mentioned there were present 
the superintendent and liis wife and two young men, 
who with George Hastings, as Bronson was known, 
were the herders. Great was their surprise at the 
strange proceedings, and it required no little argu- 
ment to convince them that George Hastings was not 
Bronson's name, and that we could not be mistaken. 
When Bronson had assured everybody present that 
he was the man, and that he was willing to go, the 
assemblage become more cheerful, and we were in- 
vited to partake of the best the house afforded. A 
very hospitable supper was prepared, and highly en- 
joyed, while the horses were being nourished and 
Bronson was packing up. It was a lively night at 
the upper ranch, and, at about midnight, when we 
were ready to bid farewell to the scene forever, 
sympathy and tears were bestowed upon poor George 
Hastings as they had never been before. As was Tom 
Bronson a favorite in Bennington, so was George 
Hastings on the ranch. 

The trip back to Greeley was a weary one, though 
more enjoyed than was the one going out. Bronson 
told his sad experiences since he left liome, and I 
assure you, they were listened to with much interest. 
Some of them had been painful, and were further 
illustrations that the way of the transgressor is hard. 
Of late he had written to his wife once each month. 
He sent the letters to a friend in Denver, who for- 
warded them to a cousin of Bronson’s residing in 
Madrid, N. Y., who in time would forward them to 
another relative in Burlington, Vermont, and this 


THE BENNINGTON CASE, '25 

person would send them to Mrs. Bronson, who was 
then in Rutland, by messenger. 

His life on the ranche had been so unpleasant and 
distasteful that he courted relief in any form. His 
duties were to go out at break of day with a flock of 
sixteen hundred sheep, remain with them all the live- 
long day alone, exposed to the rays of a bright sun, 
unable to read or find a cooling drink or a comfort- 
able shade. At nightfall his flocks were driven back 
to the corral, and, after a scanty meal, the shepherd 
turned in to rest on the soft side of a bench in a straw 
covered coop adjoining the sheep pens. And all this 
for something like $25 per month. Is it any wonder 
that more sheep-herders commit suicide than any 
other class of people, and is it any wonder that Tom 
Bronson was glad to leave ? 

The morning was well advanced when we had re- 
turned to Greeley. Our arrival, as well as our mis- 
sion, was soon known by all the villagers, and by train 
time many had gathered at the station to see us off, 
among whom were Mr. and Mrs. Child, the doctor, 
the postmaster, the sheriff and the landlord. Bronson 
renewed the acquaintance of those who knew him in 
Vermont, and was introduced to many others he had 
never seen before. After assuring the doctor that he 
was not present at the New England dinner, Bronson 
bade them all good-bye, and soon we were steaming 
rapidly toward Denver. 

Our journey back to Vermont was uneventful. 
When we arrived, the United States Court was in 
session in Rutland, and, without delay, at his request, 
Bronson was arraigned, plead guilty, and was sen- 


26 


THE BENNINGTON CASE. 


tenced to pay a fine of $5,000 and be imprisoned for five 
years. When he entered the prison he told the 
warden that that was the first real happy moment he 
had seen since he left Bennington. 

Having no sheep to look after in the prison, the 
warden made Bronson chief bookkeeper, and in that 
capacity he is still serving. He sent word to Bassett 
not long ago that his books were often inspected, and 
that they always balanced to a farthing. 


JOHN STRINGHAM’S VISITORS. 


Jeesey City is a queer old town, famous for its 
poor streets and high taxes, yet it contains many 
good people, and among the best and bravest is John 
Stringham. John was a soldier bold in times of 
war, and, besides carrying upon his person the 
scars of many a hard-fought battle, he is the proud 
possessor of as honorable a record as any veteran in 
Hudson County. There may be more learned men 
than Stringham, but none Avho have served their 
country more faithfully and received less for it. 
Time has not dimmed his eyesight nor daunted his 
courage, but his wounds have slightly affected his 
nerves, so that no longer is his hand and aim as 
steady as in boyhood, when he was known as the 
William Tell of Jersey. 

As a reward for his patriotic services to his coun- 
try, at the earnest solicitation of every patriot in town, 
Stringham was appointed to the honorable position 
of night watchman in the post-office. The great build- 
ing which he was to watch and protect was once the 
home of a wealthy gentleman, who, when he became 
tired of it, sold it to Uncle Sam ; and inasmuch as it 
was erected for private and not public purposes, it 
contained more cellars and sub-cellars, chambers and 

27 


28 


JOHN STBINGBAM^^S VlSlTOUS. 


ante-chambers, dark hallways, huge airshafts, and 
mysterious recesses than are required in a well regu- 
lated post-office, and more than any one ordinary 
watchman, or even a Stringham, could faithfully 
watch, especially in the dark hours of night, and, of 
course, in — Jersey City. 

The life of a night watchman in such a place, as 
the reader can fancy, is not a pleasant one, and had 
not Stringham’s qualifications for such an important 
trust been so marked, he might possibly have been 
made postmaster instead. Thus was merit rewarded. 
But Stringham, renowned as he was, with an exalted 
estimation of his fearlessness and faithfulness, did not 
feel competent to watch the post-office at night alone. 
He felt that it was more than any able-bodied man 
could do, and do well, to perambulate through the 
dark and dismal passages, the ornamental caverns, 
the wine cellars and stables looking for tramps, robbers 
and irregularities — to say nothing about keeping up 
the fires. So it was that the veteran, as a matter of 
sheer necessity rather than a motive of_ safety, kept 
constantly with him, besides his six shooter (also a 
time-tried veteran), his faithful watch-dog Major. 

The last night in January 1887 found the affairs 
of the office working satisfactorily, and when String- 
ham came at eight o’clock to assume his duties for the 
night, the remaining clerks were tying out packages 
of letters and singing love songs. The whole at- 
mosphere of the place was laden with peace and con- 
tentment. Stringham usually found the affairs of 
the office quiet and peaceful, but on this occasion 
they were so hopeful and serene that when he sat 


JOHN STEIN GH AM’S VISITOES. 


29 


down to light his pipe and converse with Major the 
picture was one of happiness unalloyed. But it was 
the dead calm before the storm — the gentle zephyr 
before the cyclone. 

One by one the clerks had completed their tasks 
and departed, while Major, who was an acknowledged 
enemy of idle triflers and evil doers, had been allowed 
to roam about in the highly enclosed yard in the 
rear. The last employ^ left at eleven o’clock, and, 
as was his custom, Stringham accompanied him to 
the door, bolted the same, turned down the lights and 
proceeded to the rear door to call his faithful com- 
panion. Major came quickly, and as he passed into 
the long hallway he crouched almost to the floor and 
growled as his master had never heard him before. 
Soothing words affectionately applied only added fury 
to the language and actions of the animal. 

Thinking perhaps that only the bad boys had been 
worrying the dog through the fence, Stringham return- 
ed to the mailing room in his customary cheerfulness, 
humming his favorite Dixie, while Major was snarling 
at his feet. He had been absent from the room possibly 
a minute, but during that brief period unexpected visi- 
tors had noiselessly entered from some mysterious 
rendezvous, and when the warrior watchman proudly 
returned he beheld, to his horror and astonishme’nt, 
five masked burglars drawn up in battle array around 
a mailing case. 

Quick as a flash the old soldier grabbed his weapon 
and opened fire. Being somewhat stunned by the 
suddenness with which the scene had been shifted, and 
aided only by a dim light, the brave defender of the 


30 


JOHN STBINGHAM^S VISITORS, 


government could scarcely recognize a burglar from 
a mail pouch, but for all that he emptied every cham- 
ber, and without hitting a burglar, so far as I could 
ever learn. He said afterward that he did not care 
particularly about killing anybody, for he had done 
enough of that in his time, but that he simply wanted 
to let them know that John Stringham was there. 

They evidently quickly discovered that he was 
there, for scarcely before the last shot was fired, and 
some minutes before the smoke had cleared away, 
John Stringham and the dog had been bound, gagged 
and muzzled. 

Having thus won the day and captured the enemy, 
a detachment of the visiting burglars was sent on a re- 
connoitering expedition through the building, while 
two slim gentlemen and two slim revolvers acted as 
a body guard for Stringham. On the top floor of the 
mansion dwelt janitor Nixon, Mrs. Nixon and a little 
daughter. They had retired early and were sleeping 
soundly when the burglars softly entered their bed 
chamber, quietly awoke them and directed them in 
whispers to get up and be tied. They reluctantly 
assented, and soon after, aided by the rays from a dark 
lantern, were securely pinioned. The once proud, 
blit now dejected Stringham and the dog were then 
escbrted to Nixon’s room, where in the darkness they 
were left in charge of a clerical looking burglar, whose 
long gray beard was visible below his mask. He ad- 
monished his prisoners in gentle language that the 
penalty for a loud word or a suspicious move would 
be instant death. 

The bold buglars, save the one on guard over the 


JOHN STRINGHAM^S VISITORS, 


31 


prisoners, proceeded now to ransack the office and 
open the vault which contained the stamps and 
money. It was past midnight, and the occupants of 
the little chamber heard no noise, save what seemed 
to be the pounding on the vault below. Occasionally 
the venerable burglar would quietly move about the 
room just to let the helpless sufferers know that he 
was watching them. 

At about two o’clock a loud report was heard and 
the building shook as from an earthquake. String- 
ham and company felt relieved, for they thought an 
entrance to the vault had been gained and the robbers 
would soon be off with their booty. Such was not 
the case, for it was not long before they heard the old 
man pacing around to see if all was well with them. 
Then came another long silence which was followed 
by another loud report. This time the prisoners 
thought the robbers had surely accomplished their 
purpose, and soon would be heard a signal for the 
gentlemanly guard to come down and be off. But 
the signal never came. 

For an hour or more silence reigned supreme. 
Finally passing wagons were heard, and from String- 
ham’s position he could see the gray dawn of morning 
breaking. He therefore concluded the trouble was over, 
and after no little effort he removed the gag from his 
mouth and ventured to ask: “Nixon, are you there?” 
Nixon answered as best he could. Being satisfied 
that they were alone, and that the coast was clear, the 
two men lost no time in untying themselves, when 
they proceeded below to view the ruins and give the 
alarm. 


32 


JOHN STBINGHAM^S VISITOBS. 


The spectacle that greeted them can better be imag- 
ined than described. The office had been sadly de- 
molished. The walls had been battered, the floors 
were covered with debris, while the vaults and inside 
safes were completely wrecked, though their contents, 
aside from being badly scorched, were unharmed. 
Stringham says the ruins reminded him of a battle-field, 
after the enemy had been vanquished, except that the 
dead and dying were not there, though in this case 
the dead had likely been carried away before he 
arrived. 

The police were promptly notified, and by eight 
o’clock thousands of curious people had been around 
to pay their respects to Stringham, who, by noon, had 
repeated the story so many times that he scarcely 
had sufficient strength to tell it always alike. 

It would appear that the burglars had a more diffi- 
cult task then they anticipated, or else they were 
frightened away, which probably was the case, for 
they left behind a few valuable tools. Upon leaving 
the office they proceeded to the ferry leading to 
Courtland Street, New York, and as they were wait- 
ing for a boat they were seen by Mr. Altemus, a re- 
porter, who was on his way home. \ He watched them 
with a suspicious eye. By his aid three of the burg- 
lars were identified and sent to prison, one of whom 
was the old man with* the gray beard, who had spent 
most of his life where he is now sojourning. On the 
trial Stringham again related the story of the robbery, 
to which the judge andf jury^listened.twith'^apped 
attention. 

It is needless to' add’thathe is stillnight^^tchman 


JOHN SmiNGHAiW S VISITORS. 3.3 

at the post-office. May his hard-earned glory and 
fame never wane, and when the last })ugle-call is 
sounded may all the good and true realize, as did the 
unwelcome visitors, that John Stringham is tliere. 

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A LOVER’S REVENGE. 


Geoege Washington Woethington was a bright 
young, assistant postmaster in one of the extreme 
south-western towns in Iowa. Unfortunately he 
became possessed with the idea that he was born to 
become a noted traveler. 

He looked up the celebrated and distant places in 
his geography that he thought he would like to visit, 
and then began to wonder how he would be able to 
raise the necessary funds for traveling expenses and 
sight-seeing. 

He figured it out that it would cost more than he 
could save by the strictest economy in four or five 
years. He hadn’t a bit of patience, but possessed lots 
of solid nerve ; so one night after the postmaster had 
locked up and gone home, and after he had pretended 
to lock up and go home, he returned to the office, 
unlocked the safe, helped himself to all of the post- 
office funds, all of the registered letters, all of the 
stamps, a fine large roll of bills belonging to the post- 
master’s wife, locked up again as though nothing had 
happened and immediately started on his tour. 

Just one week from that day he sailed from San 
Francisco on the “Alameda ” bound for Sydney. Of 
course I did not go to Sydney. It would have been 

35 


36 


A LOVEWS BEVENGE, 


cheaper to have paid the loss ; hut I did go over into 
Missouri to Worthington’s sweetheart that he had 
heartlessly left behind, and asked her what she 
proposed to do about it. 

She was very angry and was thirsting for revenge, 
and the reason she thirsted was because she had mit- 
tened two young men with good prospects for George, 
and now George had slipped away from her. She 
would like to play detective and catch smart Mr. 
Worthington, and I told her that v/as the very prop- 
osition I was about to make to her. 

In a few days she received a letter from him writ^ 
ten in San Francisco just before he sailed, telling her 
to address him in Sydney, and as soon as he reached 
Australia he. would write again. 

She sent me this letter and a copy of her reply. 
This was kept up for a whole year or more, till 
finally we had him located in Liverpool, where he had 
arrived on a sailing vessel. 

His funds had become exhausted and he was obliged 
to work his passage before the mast. He didn’t 
know where luck would next take him, but he would 
let her know before he sailed, so there might be a 
letter from her awaiting him when he arrived at the 
end of the voyage. 

Ten days later I received a note from her saying : 

He sailed on the ‘ A. G. Ropes,’ and, if wind is 
favorable, will arrive in New York about the 27th ; 
don’t miss him.” I begged her to give herself no 
uneasiness and assured her I’d not miss him, for her 
sake, if for no other reason. 

When the ‘‘ Ropes ” struck the dock at pier 29 
East River I was there looking for the circuninavig^-' 


A LOVER’S kEVEmE. 


37 


tor. Presently I saw him come down the ship’s walk, 
and, as he was passing me, I said in a friendly man- 
ner : “ Hello, George, I have a ticket for you to Des- 
Moines : when would you like to start ? ” 

He smiled and simply answered, “ to-night.” 

He couldn’t quite understand why I was so op- 
portune, but he finally concluded that one of the 
sailors was a detective in disguise. 


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THE AMATEUR AUTHOR’S FRIEND. 


John Williamson, of Detroit, was as deaf as a 
post and as mute as a mummy, and his business was 
that of skinning ambitious amateur authors. The 
name of the firm that WiUiamson was the senior and 
junior member of was Williamson & Co. They ad- 
vertised in the religious papers and magazines in the 
East that they were an old and thoroughly reliable 
firm, and that they had opened, in connection with 
their other extensive business, a department which 
would be devoted exclusively to the revision and prep- 
aration for the press of the manuscripts of those who 
desired to enter the literary arena and compete for 
fame. They had, at great expense, secured the 
services of some of the most famous professors and 
men of letters in the world, who would have sole 
charge of the revisions. Send for circular. 

You would scarcely believe that such improbable 
bait would be nibbled at, and you will no doubt be 
surprised when I tell you that hundreds of writers 
with considerable intelligence and ability, not only 
nibbled at it, but actually swallowed it together with the 
hook. It was evidently a scheme intended to defraud 
by use of the mails, and, notwithstanding the Free 
Press had frequently alluded to it as such, no notice- 

39 


40 


THE AMATEUR AmnOR^S FRlENl). 


able falling off in the great volume of mail for Wil- 
liamson & Co could be detected. Tlie case was given 
to me and I sent for one of the circulars. 

It came in the form of a small pamphlet, and the 
most conspicuous feature about it was the picture on 
the first page, which illustrated a fine four-story build- 
ing apparently occupied solely by Williamson & Co., 
the great publishers, reviewers and revisers. On the 
ground floor were the busy office and consulting 
rooms. Through the windows on the upper floors 
could be distinctly seen the renowned professors and 
the distinguished men of letters revising manuscripts, 
while in front of the busy emporium of genius and 
wisdom were two letter-carriers approaching with 
arms full of communications for the firm. Messenger 
boys were falling over each other in their eagerness 
and haste to get out and in ; and express wagons were 
loading and unloading. 

Besides the suggestive picture, the little book elab- 
orated on the wonderful success the firm was achiev- 
ing in its earnest and sincere endeavors to elevate 
the character of American literature. It recited the 
beauties of the literary profession and illustrated the 
boundless expanse of the enchanting field in which 
there was always room for bright, industrious people. 

It told how poor were all the well known and cele- 
brated authors when they started in business and how 
wealthy they became. It portrayed the elegant ease 
with which stories could be written ; how dignified 
was the labor, and how well even moderate success 
paid. All that was necessary for beginners to do, to 
understand and fully realize the truthfulness of these 


THE AMATEUR AUTHOHS FRIEND. 


41 


statements, was to forward their productions, either 
poetry or prose, to Williamson & Co., who would 
make the necessary revisions, if desired, and sell on 
commission. 

In order that I might see just how this wonderful 
scheme worked, I decided to write a story myself and 
send it in. There could no serious harm come from 
such a bold step, as I could see, so on the train going 
from Kalamazoo to Muskegan I wrote it. Sorry I did 
not make a copy. I held it two days trying to think 
of an appropriate name for it, and finally sent it along 
for the professor to name. I also wrote a short epistle 
to accompany it, which I signed “ Henry Wadsworth 
Freeman,” which, with the story, I forwarded to 
Machias, Maine, to be mailed, giving the postmaster 
full instructions where to send reply, if any came. 

Upon reflection it occurred to me that my literary 
task was only half completed. I must forward 
another story in order that I might note the difference 
with which the learned reviewers treated the different 
productions, and, having completely exhausted my- 
self on the nameless story, I decided to use a short 
one written by Washington Irving, known as “The 
Widow’s Ordeal.” After having copied it word for 
word as it was written, giving it the same name that 
Irving did, I signed it “ Mrs. Stiles Pitt Armsbury,” 
and forwarded it, with a letter to accompany it, to the 
postmaster at Adams, N. Y., to be mailed, at same 
time instructing him where to send reply, if any came. 

I waited impatiently for ten days, when, finally, a 
very breezy letter from Williamson & Co. purporting 
to have been written on a type-writer, addressed to 


42 


THE AMATEUB AUTHOWS FRIEND, 


Mr. Freeman of Machias, was duly received by me. 
It ran as follows : 

“ We beg to acknowledge the receipt of your beau- 
tiful story entitled : , which is 

now before us. It has been carefully examined 
by two of our most accomplished reviewers, who 
agree that, considering the experience of the author, 
it is a production of rare merit. We do not desire 
to compliment you too highly, but feel compelled 
to state that if the high standard of this story can 
be maintained in your future work, as undoubt- 
edly it can be, your name will soon be added to 
the bright galaxy of illustrious American authors. 
Some of your sentences, however, are not rounded 
out as gracefully as they should be, and in a few in- 
stances we have observed that you have used too 
many words to properly express the meaning without 
confusing the reader. While these are the faults of 
all beginners, it is in your manuscript, we are happy 
to say, if fault we may call it, less noticeable than in 
any other we have ever seen. A slight revision and 
a little pruning will make the story charming, and 
we would certainly advise you to have it done. As 
this is our dullest month we will perform the delicate 
work for you for flO, which please send soon, as 
these favorable terms cannot last only a short time 
longer. A buyer for an Eastern firm was present 
when your story was read. He says it will be worth 
about $85 after it has been properly revised. The 
amount received for the story will be promptly for- 
warded to you, less ten per cent, which we will retain 


THE AMATEUB AUTHOR'^ S FRIENE, 


43 


for making the sale. Trusting we may hear from 
you soon, and that our relations may be mutually 
profitable, we remain. 

Your humble servants, 

“ WlLLIAJSISON & Co.” 

In the following mail came the letter of acknowl- 
edgment from Williamson & Co., addressed to Mrs. 
Armsbury, at Adams, and the onl}^ difference in the 
letters that could be discovered with the naked eye 
was, that in Mrs. Armsbury’s letter, in the blank space 
left for the name of the story, the words, “The 
Widow’s Ordeal,” had been inserted, and the value 
placed upon it by “ the Eastern buyer,” who was pres- 
ent and heard it read, was named at $75 instead of 
$85. With these trifling exceptions the letters from 
Williamson & Co. were identical, and had been 
printed on the same form, with the places for the name 
of the story and the estimation of the eastern buyer 
left blank to be filled in with the same type. 

I would have sent $10 and asked to have the story 
of “ The Ordeal ” revised, but I knew, if I did, that the 
profitable relations then existing between Williamson 
& Co. and Mrs. Armsbury would be terminated, at 
least so far as Mrs. Armsbury was concerned. I knew, 
too, that if I could once get hold of the hundreds of 
untouched stories then in the possession . of William- 
son & Co., and on which $10 each had been paid for 
grafting and pruning, I would be able to obtain all 
the additional evidence necessary, and besides, it 
would be cheaper. So I resolved to try. 

The four-story business block that was artistically 


44 the amateur authors S FitlENH. 

engraved on my bewitching circular turned out to be 
a neat little cottage on a quiet street about a mile and 
a half from the City Hall. This was the home and 
business place of all there was of the great publishing 
and revising company. I rang the bell softly, and 
was invited in by a little girl. Presently I was joined 
by Williamson, and, let me assure you, I was astonished 
to learn that so much trouble had been caused by a 
man of his apparent insignificance, and, too, by one 
who could neither speak to me nor hear what I said 
when I spoke to him. Yet he was a cold-blooded 
villain, and I knew it. I knew he had many sins to 
answer for, not the least of which had been the steal- 
ing of the last dollar from many a poor woman. 

Being a little rusty in the sign-language, I picked 
up a pad of white paper and a pencil, and commenced 
business, carefully putting the questions and answers 
in my pocket, when each slip from the pad had been 
filled. This investigation proved that everything 
that Williamson & Co. had advertised to do was false. 
Not a story had ever been revised or sold, and the one 
from Machias, much to my disappointment, he told 
me was used to kindle the kitchen fire that morning. 
Professor Williamson, as he was known in the neigh- 
borhood, was arrested, and upon examination before 
the commissioner was held to await the action of the 
court. His wife, who owned the home, went his bail, 
and when the case was called at the next term, Wil- 
liamson was not there ; but it was stated that only a 
few days before, the marshal had received a commu- 
nication from him, written in Windsor, under one of 
the old letter-heads of Williamson & Co., in which he 
stated that Canada was good enough for him. 


THE AMATEUR A UTHOR^S FRIEND. 45 

In my haste to get the Professor into Canada, I 
omitted to state that he told me that nearly all of the 
manuscripts sent him for revision were from women. 
Also that very few poems came, except in the early 
spring time, when some days they would seem to fly 
in in flocks. “ The vast majority of productions that 
have been sent me, or, rather, that I have bothered 
myself about reading,” he said, “have been solid, 
substantial, home-made prose.” Some have been 
short and to the point, but most of them have been 
too long for any use. To illustrate : Three months 
ago I received a story from a lady in Catlettsbiirg, 
Kentucky, which contained several thousand sheets 
of foolscap. I sent her the usual notice that we would 
fix it up for ilO, and, of course, she accepted and 
sent the ten. She meant business ; and it is a fact, 
she has since given me more annoyance than all the 
other customers combined. The title of her story 
was ‘ Nancy Belle Simmons ; or. The pride of Twelve 
Pole Valley,’ and it is now on the top shelves in the 
pantry stored away in sections of 500 pages each. I 
finally wrote the lady tliat two of our best reviewers 
had died after having tackled ‘ Nancy Belle Simmons,’ 
and that I wanted her to forward the amount neces- 
sary to take it away, as this establishment never in 
any instance bore the expense of returning manu- 
scripts.” 

Shortly afterwards I wrote to the lady, asking 
about the fate of her “ Nancy Belle,” and my letter was 
returned by the postmaster, who had written across 
the face of the envelope the painful words ; “Nowiu 
the asylum.” 


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“ THE WAGES OF SIN.’^ 


The young life of Howard Bertrand was like a 
beautiful poem. It knew no care, and every page 
was illuminated by the mellow tints of bright hope 
and perfect happiness. The sweet voice and simple 
graces of childhood still retained their tender deli- 
cacy and beauty as the boy slowly developed into 
the first stages of manhood. He was admired by all, 
and his love of song, which was strongly marked, 
endeared him to those whose hearts were moved by 
melody. At work, at play, everywhere, the same 
genial expressions of happiness were observed and 
warmly appreciated. He found music, and made 
souls happy with it, where sterner people could trace 
nothing save the cold and dreary realities of monot- 
ony. Because of these pleasing traits, which had 
been tempered with patience, he was made assistant 
postmaster at Pierre, Dakota, before he had scarcely 
reached his majority. 

In his official position he was all that fancy had 
painted. He was early at his post, and faithful to his 
duties. The burdens of his companions were made 
lighter by his mirth, and even the sedate postmaster 
in his serious moments could scarcely withhold the 

47 


48 


THE WAGES OF SIN. 


nod of approval for the sweet refrains that floated in 
to drown his brooding sorrows. Ploward Bertrand 
became his ideal, and a thousand times lie wished he 
had been as free and blitliesome, instead of the cold, 
calculating, plodding man that he was. But the 
mysterious works of nature could not be changed, 
and he was obliged to find such happiness as he could 
in hard work with pleasant companions. 

Howard’s light heart had been pierced by Cupid’s 
shining dart, though few outside of the post-office 
had become aware of it. Back in Janesville, where 
his early days had been spent among the flowery 
vales of Wisconsin, lived the girl he loved, and next 
to the fountain from which sprang tenderness, music, 
love, and life, he constantly carried her faithful picture- 
It may have been the tender passions of blissful devo- 
tion and adoration that awoke in him and kept alive the 
symphonies and cheerfulness that so strongly charac- 
terized his existence. More than likely it was so, 
for one Saturday night it was observed that a missive 
from the fair one brought the first tinge of sadness, 
and soon the song was hushed. 

On the following Monday morning they watched 
and waited for him, but he did not come. He was 
not at home, and had not been there since the even- 
ing before. Every nook and corner was vainly 
searched, and even the broad Missouri was asked to 
give up the dead, but it did not respond. Could he 
have flown with the funds of the office ? No. Every 
cent and every stamp was in its proper place. The 
mystery could not be solved, and the friends were 
appalled. 


THE WAGES OF SIN. 


' 49 

Three weeks had passed, during which no word 
or sign had been received from Howard Bertrand, 
and he had been given up as dead, when one day 
the postmaster received a telegram from the Depart- 
ment inquiring how it happened that during a certain 
period quite a number of money-orders for large 
amounts had been issued by him, mention of which 
had not been made in his weekly statements of or- 
ders issued. The postmaster promptly responded by 
saying that every money-order issued in that office 
since he had been postmaster had been properly re- 
ported on the weekly statement. He thought the 
telegram had been missent ; but that evening after 
he had closed up, and had settled down for a little 
quiet meditation, he made a startling discovery. 

By a careful examination of his book containing 
the blank money-orders, he observed that near the 
back of the book there was a place where the numbers 
of the orders, and the advices attached, did not ap- 
pear consecutively, as they should. By further care- 
ful scrutiny he discovered that the binding of the 
book had been severed ; that a set of leaves had been 
withdrawn, and that the book had been rebound so 
that the pages would not be missed. “ A very clever 
trick indeed,” said the postmaster, as he picked up 
the telegram to read it again. 

Howard Bertrand had taken the orders from the 
book. He had filled them out for as large amounts 
as the law would allow ; had stamped and signed 
them as was the custom ; had made them payable to 
himself at offices in Wisconsin where he was known ; 

had regularly filled out the letters of advice, and had 
4 


60 


THE WAGES OF SIN, 


forwarded them to the postmasters at the offices on 
which the orders had been drawn, and had coolly fol- 
lowed them, and, probably, long ere this had procured 
the money and fled. 

From the books of the auditor it was learned that 
the value of the orders thus falsely issued was some- 
thing less than $3,000. All of the money Bertrand 
had secured, and still there was no trace of him after 
the money on the last order had been obtained. A 
week later, which was four weeks after he left Pierre, 
Metcalf heard of him in Toledo, where he had been 
two weeks before. He followed him to Buffalo, to 
Albany, to Concord, to Portland, to Calais and 
finally to Halifax, where it was pretty clearly estab- 
lished that he had sailed away on the “Circassia” to 
England. Our anxiety to find Bertrand was en- 
hanced by the hope of being able to recover some of 
the stolen money, so that the postmaster at Pierre 
would not be as great a loser as he otherwise would 
be. 

Weeks and months came and went, but still no 
tidings from the wanderer. There was not much 
that could be done. Our descriptions were well 
scattered, and we felt sure that somebody, some day, 
somewhere, would find him and report. Patiently 
we waited for eighteen months, when the long 
looked-for news came ; but it came in such an unex- 
pected form, and contained so much pathos, that it 
caused no rejoicing. ' 

It was winter. For weeks on the Western plains 
the cold had been very severe, and the icy hand of 
death had touched every living thing that had at- 


THE WAGES OF SIN, 


51 


tempted to withstand its rigors unprotected. One 
bright morning, following a night of almost unpre- 
cedented bitterness, a party of track repairers on the 
Union Pacific, about eighteen miles west of Omaha, 
discovered the lifeless body of a young man, lying 
beside the iron pathway. Tenderly they raised it 
and searched for marks of identification. They 
found no bruises or signs of violence, only a few 
small pieces of silver in one of the pockets, and 
nothing else, save the photograph of a beautiful girl, 
bearing upon it the imprint of an artist in Janesville, 
Wisconsin. 

So sleeps the pride of former days, 

So glory’s thrill is o’er, 

And hearts that once beat high for praise, 

Now feel that pulse no more.” 




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WILEY, MISS O’CONNOR, AND McAFEE. 


Lawkence Wiley was a man of probably thirty- 
two or thirty-three years, and he resided in Chicago. 
He was handsome and vain, and had never earned an 
honest dollar in his life. Though born in humble cir- 
cumstances, he was reared in idleness, and had learned 
early in life to look upon labor suspiciously. Nature 
had generously endowed him with faculties and 
energies that most poor men would be happy to 
possess, and, had he exercised them as most am- 
bitious men would, and as it was probably intended 
that he should, he would not have been the Lawrence 
Wiley of whom I write. 

His ambition and chief aim in life seemed to be to 
make money without work, and to appear like one 
who had more than he could spend. So proudly did 
he step, so genteel was his dress, and so business-like 
and substantial was his mien, that the traveler from 
New Zealand who saw him pass would naturally 
conclude : “ That man owns it all. From the lake 
to Western Avenue; from Lincoln Park to Kensing- 
ton — all is his.” 

Men who get along in this fashion sometimes do 
well for a time, but invariably they become bolder 
with their schemes, and in the end are swallowed up 

53 


54 WILEY, MISS O' CONN on, AND McAFEE. 

in prisons. Wiley, although one of the shrewdest and 
most accomplished of his class, was no exception to 
the rule. For a couple of years or more his plans 
never seriously miscarried, though during that event- 
ful period the strong arm of Justice was constantly 
reaching out for him ; but never was it long enough, 
or strong enough to bring him in. 

The particular schemes to which Wiley was hap- 
pily wedded, were those in the nature of lotteries ; 
and with them he would fleece the unsuspecting 
countryman painfully, yet beautifully. So smoothly 
was it done that not one person in a hundred ever 
realized that he had been injured, and, therefore, he 
would be just as anxious to try again, when the 
tempting opportunity was offered; and, you may 
rest assured, the opportunities were offered frequently. 

But even with all his cunning and acuteness, 
Wiley had never devised a plan to operate without 
using the mails. He could not advise his customers 
of his plans to make them rich, except by wliat ap- 
peared in each case to be a personal letter sent 
through the mails. Thus the mails aided him to rob 
the weak and unwary, all of which was unlawful, 
and no one knew it better than Lawrence Wiley. 

In the West, as in the East, there is an organization 
known as the Society for the Prevention of Vice, and 
the western agent of this society is Mr. R. W. McAfee, 
of St. Louis — an upright, honorable gentleman. It is 
McAfee’s particular business to prevent, if possible, 
just such unlawful work as Wiley was engaged in. 

Wiley also knew this, and if there was any man in 
the world that he had a profound contempt for, it 


WILEY, MISS O^COJYMOB, AND McAFEE. 55 

was McAfee. I do not think McAfee entertained any 
ill feeling toward him, but it was apparent to every- 
body that McAfee would be willing to sacrifice al- 
most anything he possessed if he could make a sure 
case against the scheming Wiley. 

Time and again had he failed, and in each instance 
had he been obliged to find consolation in the simple 
operation of having the lottery mail stopped. It would 
not be long, however, before it would commence 
coming again ; this time addressed to another alias, 
and always to a new number and another street. It 
would be the same scheme, apparently being worked 
by others. The rooms to which this mail would 
be addressed were invariably rented by some person 
other than Wiley, and one with whom the landlord 
was unacquainted. 

A lady clerk would be engaged by another stranger, 
and her time would usually be occupied in copying 
names out of directories and telling callers that “ Mr. 
So-and-so was out looking at a piece of real estate on 
the west side, and no knowing when he would return.” 
She was there solely for the purpose of receiving the 
mail and deceiving the people. When the mail came 
it would be forwarded by messenger to Wiley, who 
never came to the rooms either by day or night. The 
messenger was so well trained that no person could 
follow him, and thus the identity of the mail would 
be lost. 

It was finally agreed that when suspicious mail 
commenced coming, a card should be sent to the office 
of the firm addressed inviting the persons interested 
to call at the post-office and be identified. This proved 


56 


WILEY, MISS a CONNOR, AND McAFEE. 


a hard blow to Wiley. Rather than show his hand 
he would order the young lady dismissed and the 
key returned to the janitor. The experiments cost 
more than he could make out of them, and he had 
now to turn to other cities or to other schemes. 

It was not long after this, however, before it was 
discovered that a firm styled Barber & Co., of Wis- 
consin Street, Milwaukee, were sending out the most 
alluring lottery circular-letter ever seen. It represent- 
ed that Barber & Co. were the confidential agents of 
the Louisiana Lottery Company of New Orleans ; 
that this company having grown rich and prosperous 
by legitimate business, had decided to offer to the 
public a broad and comprehensive plan for dividing 
their surplus among their old patrons ; a plan more 
generous than had ever before been offered by any lot- 
tery on earth, and one, which, if embraced during the 
coming thirty days, would bring wealth, luxury and 
splendor to each participant. Single tickets only 
would be sold in the grand surplus series, and each 
ticket would cost $5. The drawing would take place 
in New Orleans on the 15th of the following month. 
If a ticket sold by Barber & Co. failed to draw a 
prize on this occasion, the holder thereof would be 
furnished with another ticket free for the next draw- 
ing, and so on during each month till every ticket 
had drawn a prize. These tickets could be purchased 
only of Barber & Co., who were the only authorized 
agents for the great North-west. Then followed a 
list of the names of persons in this country who have 
had wealth and fame thrust upon them by this 
benevolent lottery company. 


WILEY MISS O’CONEOB, AND UcAFEE. 57 

Strange as it may seem — to a person who never ^ 
bought a lottery ticket — the Milwaukee mails were 
soon so heavy that the postmaster threatened to 
wire the department, asking for additional help to 
properly handle the increasing business. The post- 
office was completely snowed under with letters for 
Barber & Co., a firm that had recently opened a real 
estate office not two blocks away. Had the boom 
struck Milwaukee, or was it a dream ? 

It was simply a stupendous scheme, and who save 
Wiley could have thought of it? and who but Wiley 
would have had the nerve to put it in operation ? It 
was a new one, but it possessed a few earmarks of 
the old offender. McAfee was wild to hunt for Bar- 
ber & Co., and I was detailed to go along and see that 
they did not kill him, or, if they did, to be a witness. 

Arriving in Milwaukee, we sought the landlord of 
the building in which Barber & Co. had opened a 
real estate office on the second fioor. He informed 
us that the person to whom he had rented the rooms, 
said, when he made the arrangement that he was the 
company portion of the firm — a sort of a silent part- 
ner. He was a stranger with red hair and red whis- 
kers, and he also said he had business in St. Paul and 
would not be in Milwaukee much to assist Mr. Bar- 
ber. The letter-carriers told us they never saw any- 
one around the rooms except a young lady, who was 
known to them as Miss Katie O’Connor, to whom all 
the mail was delivered. 

Barber & Co. had advertised their real estate office 
in the daily papers, and so we concluded that it would 
be wise to call and see if we could not transact some 


58 WILEY, MISS O^CONNOR, AND McAFEE. 

business with them. I was to do the calling, and, as 
I entered, I found Miss O’Connor very busily engaged 
on a type-writer. The main room was rather small, 
with a still smaller one in connection, and was fur- 
nished plainly with chairs, two desks, a sofa and 
several pictures. I asked for Mr. Barber, and was 
politely informed that he was out at present — an ob- 
servation I had already made. 

I told the young woman that I owned a valuable lot 
in the 15th ward and had called to see Mr. Barber, 
thinking possibly he might find a customer for me, 
at the same time asking her if she thought he would 
be in soon. It was her impression that he would not 
return to the office again that day, as he had gone to 
Oconomowoc with a gentleman to look at a hotel 
property that was on the market ; but said if I would 
be kind enough to leave my card she would hand it 
to him on his return and tell him what I had told 
her, and if he could be of service to me he would call 
around and see me. I gave her the name of the first 
citizen I could think of, and withdrew to confer with 
McAfee. 

There was now no longer any doubt but that Bar- 
ber was Wiley, although we could not learn that any 
stranger had been seen around the premises who re- 
sembled him. The man who rented the rooms could 
surely not have been Wiley, who has dark hair and 
a smooth face. 

But this fact seemed the strongest in the case 
against him. We also believed that Miss O’Connor 
was from Chicago, and, if so, of course she was a 
professional real estate clerk, as well as quite expert 


WILEY, MISS O'COKJSrOL, AND McAFEE. 59 

in the other business. That being the case, it would 
be no use trying to obtain information from her, and 
so we decided that inasmuch as she was very bright 
and intelligent, and evidently thoroughly understood 
what Wiley was engaged in, that if we could give 
her just a little cause to be suspicious she would take 
the hint and fly quickly to her employer. We could 
follow and if we found Wiley, or anyone else, make 
an arrest and take our chances afterward of being 
able to connect the person with the lottery scheme. 

This was agreed to and McAfee went to procure a 
warrant for Barber, while I returned to the real estate 
office. Entering I found the affable Miss O’Con- 
nor still hard at work on the type-writer. I apolo- 
gized for returning so soon by saying I had called 
again to inquire if she knew of any young lady out of 
employment who was a competent stenographer as 
well as a fair operator on the type-writer. She an- 
swered pleasantly that she did not. 

In the course of a general conversation on the sub- 
ject she informed me that she had learned to use the 
type-writer since she left school, merely as a pastime ; 
that she did not have to work, but preferred to have 
her time occupied, rather than spend it in idleness, 
as did most young ladies in her circumstances. Her 
father, she said, was wealthy, and was a man who had 
worked for all he had, and was one who believed that 
honest labor was essential to happiness, and so, of 
course, he did not object when his daughter expressed 
a willingness to engage in something light and profit- 
able. She told me she secured this position not 
through the kind proffers of influential friends, but by 


60 WILEYy MISS O'CONNOR, AND McAFEE, 

answering an advertisement in person, just as a 
poor girl would do. 

Then she showed me the advertisement in the Senti- 
nel of the week before, and remarked, with just a little 
sarcasm, that she thought my better way to secure a 
stenographer would be to advertise for one. As I 
was about leaving I said : “ Please do not consider 
me rude or inquisitive, but do you know where Mr* 
Barber resided before he came to Milwaukee?” 

Affecting no emotion she answered that she had 
understood from Mrs. Barber, who frequently calls 
at the office, that they formerly resided in Baltimore. 
I thanked her, and as I walked out I imagined I 
heard the little adventuress asking herself : “ Why 
did that gentleman ask me if I knew where Mr. 
Barber formerly resided ? 

Just as I was leaving the building I met the faith- 
ful carrier who was making his last trip for the day. 
I hastened to find McAfee, for I felt confident Miss 
O’Connor would soon be off ; and my expectations 
were quickly realized, for soon the accomplished 
maiden came tripping gayly along, looking as sweet 
and innocent as the one she had pictured to me only 
a few moments before. Was it possible that I was 
wi’ong and the young lady had told the truth ? 

It is true that had I not known positively, or 
rather, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Miss O’Connor 
had spoken falsely, I might have been influenced by 
her assumed innocence, as others likely had been who 
had called on Barber and Co. for information. But 
I knew what others did not. Whether or not she 
was in full confidence with the head of the firm she 


WILEY, MISS CONNOR, ANDMeAFEE. 


61 


certainly must know that Barber '& Co. were not in 
the real estate business, and that some other business 
was being transacted that was not honorable, to say 
the least. 

Upon leaving the office Miss O’Connor proceeded 
directly to the Axtel House, where she hastily par- 
took of her dinner and left by a side door, thereby 
slipping away from any person who might possibly 
have been shadowing her. Then another consulta- 
tion followed, in which one of the clerks of the hotel 
was taken into our confidence. He gave the infor- 
mation that the young woman came to the house with 
a very nicely appearing man, about ten days before ; 
that they were assigned adjoining rooms on the floor 
above the office, and that they still occupied the 
rooms. 

They registered from St. Paul, and very little was 
seen of the man, though the young lady was quite 
regular at her meals. McAfee stepped to the desk 
to examine the register on the date named, and when 
his eye caught the names of Thomas Barber and Miss 
O’Connor he instantly recognized the handwriting, 
and it was Wiley’s. 

Our theory was, then, that Wiley had another place 
in the city where Miss O’Connor met him for con- 
sultation, to which place she had now gone to tell 
him all that had transpired. Sometime during the 
night they would probably quietly return and enter 
the hotel unobserved. In order that we might be on 
hand when Wiley came, we engaged the rooms directly 
across the hall from his, and arranged with the night 


62 WILEY, MISS O’ COJSfNOE, AND McAFEE. 

clerk to come and notify us as soon as he had entered 
the hotel. 

Fearing the clerk might forget us, we took turns 
watching, and it was just four o’clock in the morning 
when the man of many aliases entered. He was 
alone. We hastily put our armors on and sallied 
forth to meet the enemy. Fortunately he had left 
the door of his room slightly ajar, through which we 
sprang quickly, fearing he might make his exit 
through a window to the roof, if we stopped to 
parley. 

No hull was ever more enraged at the sight of a 
red flag than was Wiley at the sight of McAfee. He 
jumped at him furiously and would have carved him 
up and thrown the pieces into the murky river that 
lazily flowed beneath the window, had not a stranger 
been present for the sole purpose of protection. 

Wiley flashed his revolver in the dim light of the 
early morning and swore he would shoot the first 
man who was audacious enough to lay a hand on him. 
Of course he was addressing McAfee, and I glanced 
toward my companion to see if I could detect any 
sign of fear or weakness, and I remember that my 
conclusions were that, under the trying circumstances, 
he appeared uncommonly bold and resolute. 

I knew he would rather meet death then and there 
than suffer inglorious defeat. Wiley excitedly in- 
formed McAfee that probably he would never have 
a better opportunity to kill him, and he believed he 
would do it now. It looked to me like business, 
and, jumping suddenly, I grabbed the frantic man, 


WILEY, MISS CONNOR, ANDMcAFEE. 63 

wrenched the deadly weapon from his iron grasp and 
shoved him into the hall. 

There I attempted to inform him that I was an 
officer of this great and glorious government, and 
that I had a warrant for his arrest. In clear and 
deafening tones he demanded to see the warrant. 
McAfee produced it; and when Wiley discovered that 
it called for a man named Barber he sank back on 
his dignity and madly defied us. I told him that it 
mattered not what name was in a warrant if the 
officer serving it knew that the person he was serving 
it on was the man wanted. “ While this warrant lit- • 
terally calls for Barber, it means Wiley as well, and 
as you are both Barber and Wiley, so to speak, we 
will kill two birds at one shot.” 

By this time every person in the hotel had been 
aroused by the harangue and had turned out, just as 
they awoke, to ascertain where the fire was. The 
clerk had sent in a double police alarm, and it is 
doubtful if the Axtel House was ever before so com- 
pletely upset. 

We held Wiley at bay till four policemen appeared 
on the scene and proceeded to escort the prisoner to 
the nearest station house. An examination of his 
effects at the hotel satisfied us beyond question that 
we had made no mistake. 

Soon afterward it was learned that Miss O’Connor, 
having heard of Wiley’s misfortune, had escaped on 
an early train to Chicago. A telegram, however, 
reached Chicago ahead of her, and by noon both Mr. 
Lawrence Wiley and Miss Katie O’Connor were pre- 
paring for dinner at the Milwaukee county jail. 


64 WILEY, MISS O^CONNOR, AND McAFEE. 

One of the happiest moments in McAfee’s stormy 
career was when he had written a telegram to the 
president of his society, which briefly said : 

We have arrested Wiley and have evidence suffi- 
cient to convict. How are the mighty fallen ! ” 

The next happiest moment in his life was when he 
received an answer from the appreciative president, 
which read as follows : 

“We all join in warmest congratulations on your 
brilliant success. Your salary will be increased at 
the next meeting.” 

Did the officers of the society for which I had risked 
my life send me any congratulatory telegrams, or show 
appreciation by proposing to increase my pay ? 

The next term of the United States Court was to 
be held in Oshkosh, and on the appointed day the case 
against Wiley and O’Connor was called. The pros- 
ecution showed how extensively Barber & Co. had 
swindled the people in distant states and territories ; 
that the Louisiana Company had never authorized any 
body to make such propositions as Barber & Co. had 
made ; and further, that the lottery company had 
never heard of Barber & Co. until some one sent them 
one of the Barber circulars. 

The proprietor of the hotel swore that the persons 
came to his house on a certain day and registered as 
Barber and O’Connor. McAfee testified that the 
key which he held in his hand, and which was a key 
to the door of Barber & Co.’s real estate office in 
Milwaukee, was found on a ring marked Lawrence 
Wiley, in the trunk of the principal defendant, at his 
hotel ; that the circular marked “ Exhibit A.,” which 


WILEY, MISS 0^ CONNOR, AND McAFEE. 65 


was one of Barber & Co.’s, was taken out of the same 
defendant’s trunk with many hundreds of a similar 
kind ; and that the red wig and the pair of red false 
whiskers, which he held in his other hand, were also 
found in the same defendant’s trunk. 

The proprietor of the building in which the real 
estate office was located testified to the astonishing 
fact that the person to whom he rented the rooms 
wore, on the occasion when the rooms were rented, 
the red wig and red whiskers exhibited by the last 
witness. This was a clincher and the District Attor- 
ney rested. 

The defense devoted its feeble energies to abuse of 
McAfee, the Louisiana Lottery Company, and heart- 
less government officers, without making much of a 
showing. The court read the law to the jury and 
charged them firmly. They were out scarcely fifteen 
minutes, when they returned with a verdict of guilty 
for Wiley, and one of acquittal for Miss O’Connor ; 
all of which was satisfactory to the court, to the able 
counsel, to the large and appreciation audience, and — 
to McAfee. 

When the judge began his solemn and impressive 
admonitions to the prisoner there was a painful 
silence in the court, and Miss O’Connor sobbed piti- 
fully. 

But when the sentence came and the marshal was 
directed to tenderly gather together all there was 
left of the once haughty Lawrence Wiley, and convey 
it to Waupun for safe-keeping. Miss O’Connor, whose 
right name was Florence O’Keef, wiped her weeping 


66 WILEY, MISS O^COMNOB, AND McAFEE. 

eyes and remarked that she hoped her life would be 
spared long enough to enable her to square accounts 
with the agent for the Society for the Prevention 
of Vice. 


JOHNSON AND JANSEN. 


Johnson and Jansen both hailed from Norway. 
Johnson was a sailor, and Jansen was nothing in 
particular. Some way, while at sea, Jansen became 
intimately acquainted with Johnson, though John- 
son did not learn much about Jansen, and did not 
try. 

Of course Jansen learned Mrs. Johnson’s address 
in Boston, where she was working for good wages, 
which she took good care of, together with the earn- 
ings of her husband, which he always sent to her 
whenever he arrived in any port. They were thrifty 
people, and were wisely looking ahead to the time 
when perhaps toil would become too irksome for 
Mrs. Johnson, and the sea too rough for Mr. Johnson. 

Jansen, who fancied it was easier to steal than work, 
thought he saw a good opportunity to obtain some 
of the wealth the prudent Johnsons had laid away ; 
so he came to New York and wrote to Mrs. Johnson 
representing that he was Johnson, and wrote just as 
Johnson would have written, had he landed in New 
York sick, sometime before pay-day. 

He was not so very sick ; simply was not feeling 
quite well enough to work, and he wanted |25 to 
help him along till he obtained his pay. Mrs. John- 
67 


68 


JOHNSON AND JANSEN. 


son, like any true wife who was the custodian of the 
family exchequer, sent the money by registered letter, 
accompanied by expressions of the deepest sympathy 
for her husband. 

Jansen received it without difficulty, and smiled 
like a villain. If you are unacquainted with the 
smile of a villain, try and imagine how Jansen 
looked when he received Mrs. Johnson’s letter, and 
found the money. 

It had worked once, and why wouldn’t it work again 
and possibly a gain ? He thought it would. In a couple 
of days he wrote another letter full of apologies, asking 
for $25 more. When Mrs. Johnson received this letter 
she thought it sounded unlike her husband to write 
for money again so soon ; still she could not discover 
anything wrong about the character of the writing, 
or the contents of the request. 

She pondered over the matter some time, and 
simply because she had never known Mr. Johnson 
to do business that way, she became just a little sus- 
picious. Fearing a mistake if she refused, she sent 
the money, the same as before, and, as a precaution- 
ary expedient, at the same time wrote to the post- 
master in New York, telling him of her vague sus- 
picions, also enclosing a photograph of her husband. 

If the Mr. Johnson, to whom she had sent the 
money, resembled the picture, then it was her desire 
to have the letter delivered and nothing said ; other- 
wise withhold the letter and return it to her. Well, 
Jansen resembled the picture except that his face was 
a trifle too thin, which was easily accounted for by 
the fact that he had been sick ; and he really had less 


JOHNSON AND JANSEN. 


69 


trouble obtaining this letter than he did the other, 
while his smile was even more bland than before. 

Emboldened by his wonderful success, he foolishly 
resolved to try again. This time he waited a week, 
when he made the third request for the customary 
twenty-five. On this occasion Mrs. Johnson, who by 
this time knew her business tolerably well, immedi- 
ately responded by enclosing blank paper in her let- 
ter. She then notified the postmaster in New York 
that the so-called Johnson was a swindler, and re- 
quested that he be arrested when he called for the 
registered letter she had just sent him. 

Jansen, the villain, was duly arrested, when he 
played the part of Johnson so well that every one 
was perfectly satisfied that he was the real character. 
He even asked us to send for Mrs. Johnson, his wife, 
and, just to convince the lady that she had been the 
cause of her husband’s cruel treatment, she was asked 
to come. 

Unknown to Jansen she came ; and when she 
quietly entered the room where the prisoner was con- 
versing with others, Jansen looked up, but did not 
recognize her, and it is scarcely necessary to add that 
Mrs. Johnson had never seen Jansen before — and 
never wanted to again. 


MRS. STONE’S MONEY-ORDER. 


One day a well dressed lady, purporting to be Mrs. 
Richard Stone, called at the money-order division of 
the New York office and asked for the money on an 
order for <£10, which had been issued in Lowestoft, 
England, payable to the order of Richard Stone. The 
order presented on this occasion had apparently been 
properly endorsed by Richard Stone, who had made 
it payable to his wife. 

The only precaution necessary on the part of the 
examiners and paying clerks was, therefore, simply 
to satisfy themselves that the lady was Mrs. Richard 
Stone, the rightful payee. There being no person 
present to identify her she exhibited several letters ad- 
dressed to herself and her husband, and the identical 
letter from Lowestoft, which contained the money- 
order. 

She told them where her husband was employed, 
and gave the name and number of the street of their 
residence. It seemed clear enough, and the money 
was paid. 

Just such transactions as this occur a hundred times 
a day, and it cannot be expected that the clerks can 
remember very much about any particular transaction 
many hours after it occurs. . Three weeks later, when 

71 


72 


MBS. STONERS MONEY-OBDEB. 


another lady called, also purporting to be Mrs. 
Richard Stone, to make inquiries about a money- 
order for <£10 sent to her husband from Lowestoft, 
England, there was not very much to say except that 
the order had been paid. 

This lady also produced a letter from her husband’s 
sister in Lowestoft, saying that on a certain day she 
sent a money-order for the amount named ; that she 
had just received his last letter, and there being noth- 
ing said about having received the order, she wrote 
to ascertain if the order had not been received. 

Mrs. Stone, the second, stated that this was the 
first that her husband, or herself, had known of the 
existence of such an order, and she had called to see 
what could be done about it. If it had been paid, 
surely somebody must be responsible for the wrong 
payment. 

It is the custom, where a wrong payment can be 
established, for the postmaster or the clerk making 
the mistake, to make the amount good to the right 
payee. Mrs. Stone’s case was accordingly referred 
to me for adjustment. 

Her story was told in such a simple manner that 
no one who heard it could doubt her word. But it 
was possible that she had received the money, and 
had forgotten about the transaction. 

When the order was paid the lady who received 
the money was questioned by two examiners, both 
of whom were satisfied that she was the person to 
whom the order should be paid. The same two ex- 
aminers talked with Mrs. Stone, the second, and one 
of them thought she was the lady to whom the money 


MRS, STOKERS MONEY-OBDER. 


73 


was paid, while the other could distinguish very little 
similarity and felt confident the fii’st Mrs. Stone was 
not the second Mrs. Stone. 

On the following day Richard Stone himself called 
to talk the matter over and give me some points. 
He suspected a young woman named Nellie Mason, 
who had been in the habit of calling on his wife, who 
was an old friend of hers, and who resembled her 
very much. 

Mr. and Mrs. Stone resided in Twenty-eighth Street 
at this time, but at the time the missing letter must 
have arrived in New York they were living in a flat 
in Twenty-seventh "Street. The mail for the occu- 
pants of this flat was left by the carrier on a table in 
the lower hall, and any person so inclined could have 
picked up the lost letter. 

He had several samples of Nellie Mason’s writing 
in the form of letters that Mrs. Stone had received 
from her from time to time, and they corresponded 
with the endorsements on the order. 

The case was now becoming interesting, and, at 
Stone’s request, I consented to call at his residence 
the next afternoon to talk with Mrs. Stone about 
Miss Mason. 

Richard Stone was a young man of probably thirty- 
two, and an Englishman. His dress and appearance 
were faultless, while his conversation indicated that 
he was well educated. He had been in this country 
scarcely fifteen months, yet he was holding a confi- 
dential position in one of the largest corporations in 
the city, where he was held in the highest esteem, 
and where he was complimented alike for his rare 


74 


MRS. STONE'S MONEY ORDER. 


abilities and gentlemanly deportment. Indeed, 
every person interested was delighted with him, and 
they had all often wondered at their good fortune in 
securing the services of such a preeminently com- 
petent man. 

Mrs. Stone was somewhat younger than her hus- 
band, and was of fair size and fine form. “ Her brow 
was like the snowdrift ; her voice was low and sweet,” 
and nature had also generously endowed her with an 
abundance of the most beautiful red Jiair that ever 
gladdened the heart of man with its warm and genial 
rays. She was an American, and had been married 
to Mr. Stone only a few months. 

Mr. and Mrs. Stone were both at home when I 
called. I was as warmly greeted as though I had 
been a welcome messenger of peace from a mortal 
enemy. Mrs. Stone had hardly recovered from a 
terrible scare she had received the previous evening, 
and the household affairs had scarcely resumed their 
wonted cheerfulness and repose. 

“Was it a burglar?” “No, worse than burg- 
lars ! ” And having never learned that anything 
brought more terror to womankind than the soft 
step of the artful burglar, I listened with bated 
breath to the interesting story of the husband. 

It was his custom to arrive home each afternoon 
about six o’clock, where the bright smiles of Mrs. 
Stone had never, till yesterday, failed to bathe him in 
the warm and tender adorations of perennial affec- 
tion. Last evening when he entered at the usual 
hour the house was still and dark, and the bright 
face of his loved one greeted him not. 


MBS. STONE’S MOJSTEY-ORDEB. 


75 


A strange man approached him, in as great surprise 
as if the dead had come to life, and bade him be 
calm and composed, and said he thought Mrs. Stone 
would soon recover consciousness ; that somebody 
had sent her word that her husband had been killed, 
and the shock was too great and too sudden for her 
to bear. A telegram from a down-town office, which 
brought the dreadful intelligence, lay upon the table, 
and it was signed, simply “N. M.” 

From this circumstance alone it was painfully evi- 
dent that Nellie Mason was a bad and designing in- 
dividual. Mrs. Stone was sweetly reclining on a 
richly-covered couch, and her faithful husband was 
lovingly administering to her every little want. The 
lady, like tender blades of grass that have been 
watered by a passing storm, seemed more beautiful 
than before her severe trial. Under the warm sun- 
shine of sympathy and love, her many pleasing charms 
shone like diamonds in the diadem of royalty. 

Seating myself within easy hearing distance of th-e 
fair Mrs. Stone, she began the enchanting tale about 
Nellie Mason, the sorceress. It was as follows : 

“ My maiden name was Francis West. My parents 
died when I was young, and I went to live with an 
aunt in Peekskill on the Hudson. There I received 
every attention that a dear relative could bestow up- 
on the young offspring of a deceased sister. There 
I attended school, and in that school I first met Nellie 
Mason. She was about my age, and, like myself, was 
living with an aunt, though she was not an orphan. 

“Pardon me when I tell you that I was an attractive 
young miss in those days. Young girls know as well 


76 


MUS. STONE\S MONET-ORDER, 


as older ones that good looks, grace, and fine dress 
are envious attractions. No one understood this 
more perfectly than Nellie Mason. 

“ At school, at church, at parties, and everywhere, 
she seemed to grieve at my good fortune. I always 
treated her kindly, for I had been taught the charm 
of charity, yet, with all, it seemed that sometimes I 
could no longer bear the unpleasant feeling that steals 
over a person when it is known that another is con- 
stantly trying to imitate, and perhaps injure you. 

“ It is true, she looked like me in several particulars. 
That is. Nature had made her something like me, and 
the points of difference she was ceaselessly attempt- 
ing to assimilate. There was only one marked differ- 
ence, but that was easily changed. Her hair was 
brown ; now it is exactly like mine. We were in the 
same classes and the same social circles. 

“ She tried to imitate my voice, my actions, and, so 
perfectly did she imitate my writing, that no person can 
tell which is the genuine and which the false. When- 
ever I procured a new gown, Nellie was as certain to 
have one like it as she was to live. She would even 
squeeze her foot into a two-and-a-half shoe, and was 
dying to imitate my smile. Poor thing, how I did 
worry her ! But what bothered her more than any- 
thing else, was her inability in every instance to asso- 
ciate with the same particular persons that I did. 

“ In Peekskill, as I suppose it is in most places of its 
size, the young men are quite attentive to the young 
ladies. While my aunt was very solicitous about my 
company, I managed to receive about as much atten- 
tion as the other girls, and, do you know, I never 


MBS. STONE’S MONEY-ORDER. 


77 


had a beau in my life that Nellie did not try to get 
away from me. 

“ Finally, just to bother her, I would tell the young 
men that if they paid Miss Mason any attention I 
would have nothing whatever to do with them ; 
that I would cut them squarely. Well, one young 
fellow, whom I had thus admonished, thought it 
would be smart to tell the young lady what I had 
said, and since that day Nellie Mason has not been 
trying so much to imitate as she evidently has to 
injure me. 

“ Soon after I married Richard and came to New York 
to live, Nellie went home to Lewiston, Maine ; and after 
she had been there a while she wrote me a letter in 
which she said she had married. I have her letter 
now. She did not remain long in Lewiston, for the 
next thing I heard of her she was here in New York. 

“ She called on me and said she was living with a Mrs. 
Gilbert, in East Thirteenth Street ; that she and her 
husband had quarreled, and that she had resolved to 
make her own living, and was then at work in an 
Insurance office. It is needless for me to say that I 
did not return the call, but I presume it would have 
been better for me if I had. 

“One evening, about half-past five, about three weeks 
before we left our old apartments, one of Mr. Stone’s 
most intimate friends called. There was nothing 
particularly singular or remarkable about the call, 
for the gentleman often came with Richard and made 
real homelike visits. He had not been in the house 
long on this occasion before he said he was delighted 
to receive my kind letter. Of course, not knowing 


78 


MBS. STONERS MONET-OBDEB. 


what he referred to, I promptly demanded an explana^ 
tion, when he took from his pocket a neat little letter 
apparently written by me and signed ‘ Frances,’ re- 
questing him to call at 5:30 that day, as I wanted to 
see him particularly. Did you ever hear the like of 
that? 

“ Well, to make matters still more embarrassing, pre- 
sentlyin walks Kichard with another letter written in a 
scrawling anonymous hand, in which he was advised 
to be home by 5:45 as he would find company. The 
next thing we heard was the money-order affair, and 
the next was the telegram announcing Mr. Stone’s 
death last night, which nearly killed me ; and who 
knows what will be next ? ” 

The only appropriate words I could command, 
after Mrs. Stone had finished, were : Wonderful 
woman ! ” I assure you I was unable to state just then 
whether 1 referred to Mrs. Stone or Nellie Mason. 
If the strange story was true, Nellie Mason was 
wonderfully remarkable. If it was untrue, then Mrs. 
Kichard Stone was the most remarkable character I 
had ever met. I promised to call again in a day or 
so, and hastily withdrew to strengthen or unravel 
the nicely-woven fabric Mrs. Stone had offered. 

Richard Stone had acted so much in sympathy 
with his beautiful wife, that I began to think if she 
was wrong, Richard could not be right himself ; so I 
determined to know more about him. I called upon 
the chief officer of the company where he was em- 
ployed, and confidentially asked him what he knew 
about Stone. 

He told me that Stone came from England with 


MRS. STONERS MONEY-ORDER. 


79 


the best kind of written recommendations from 
several of the oldest established business houses in 
London and Norwich; and further, that he had been 
warmly recommended by the Young Men’s Associa- 
tion, in New York to which he had been splendidly in- 
troduced, and in whom the officers of the association 
still retained a deep interest. He was a first-rate 
business man, and he thought there could be no more 
question about his character than there was about 
his own. 

I told him there were some decidedly singular 
features about my case ; but, of course, they could 
possibly all be cleared up without leaving a blemish 
on Stone’s character. I thought, under all the cir- 
cumstances, it would be best to have a frank talk 
about the matter, and if he still thought Stone was 
honest and honorable we would say no more about it. 

He was so impressed with the story that he said 
they could not afford to retain him, valuable as he 
was, if there was a probability that he was not what 
he should be. But to be sure that they were making 
no mistake, they would commence the investigation 
in England, and at once. That day a cablegram was 
forwarded to an agent in London, who was given full 
instructions what to do and how to send his report. 

Having disposed of Mr. Stone for a brief period I 
devoted a day or two to investigating Mrs. Stone and 
Nellie Mason, and I know the result will be read with 
interest. There was no record at Peekskill that 
showed that either of the ladies ever resided there. 
There was no record in Lewiston of Nellie Mason’s 
father or Nellie Mason. She had never liYed at Mrs. 


80 


MBS, STOME^S MONEY-OBBEB, 


Gilbert’s in East Thirteenth Street, but Miss Frances 
West had, and, by the loquacious landlady, who 
knew about all there was in this world worth know- 
ing, and who had not kept a boarding house all these 
years for nothing, I was advised to investigate Miss 
West very sharply indeed. When I asked Mrs. Gil- 
bert if she had not heard of Miss West’s marriage, 
she said : “ Tut, tut, I do not believe one word of it.” 

I was not long in determining beyond a doubt that 
Mrs. Stone sent the telegram to herself, announcing 
her husband’s death. She had ingeniously sent it to 
her own number in West Twenty-seventh Street, 
knowing that the messenger, when he found no such 
person on the west side, would surely cross to East 
Twenty-seventh, and would not reach the last num- 
ber till after she had arrived home. While I was 
looking up the telegram I heard that a detective was 
looking up a Miss Nellie Mason from Peekskill, who, it 
was supposed, had purloined a beautiful stem-wind- 
ing, full jeweled Elgin, No. 10,427, from a gentleman 
from Boston, who had been spending a short vacation 
in New York. It is needless to add that there was 
no such person as Nellie Mason, and that the money- 
order was not repaid. 

When the first returns were in from London it was 
quite evident that Mr. Stone had been elected by an 
unusually large majority. The highly perfumed let- 
ters of recommendation that he brought over with 
him were all false, the supposed writers never having 
heard of such a person. He had been compelled to 
leave England because of a few slight slips of the pen, 
which, at this time, it is not worth while to mention, 


MRS. STOKERS MONEt-ORRER. 81 

and that at Lowestoft, where his parents resided, he 
was looked upon as a “ very slippery gentleman,” 
whose true name was not Stone, but Hartley. 

Not long afterward, and quite recently, Stone 
attempted by misrepresentations to procure a large 
amount of money from certain Wall Street brokers, 
which would enable him, he said, “ to return to Eng- 
land and live in splendor.” But the scheme failed 
after he had procured a few hundred dollars, and, in- 
stead of being permitted to enjoy the magnificence of 
the old world, he suddenly found himself enjoying 
the splendors of one of the oldest prisons in New 
York. 6 




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THERMOMETERS AND BAROMETERS. 


In a single day the Department received a thousand 
complaints from postmasters in all parts of the 
country, calling attention to “ the greatest swindle of 
the age,” which was being worked thi'ough the mails 
from Indianapolis. On the following day two 
thousand similar complaints were received, while on 
the third day as many came as had been received on 
both of the other days. 

Somebody awoke that day to the fact that there 
must be a screw loose in the machinery at Indian- 
apolis, and I was wired to go forthwith and see if I 
could not discover what was wrong, and, if possible, 
apply the remedy. 

Soon after my arrival I ascertained that the trouble 
had been caused by a little circular sent to every post- 
master in the United States and Canada by a firm 
known as I. C. Gordon & Co., who had lately opened 
a place of business in the Thorp Block. These cir- 
culars had been so ingeniously drawn that about 
34,000 postmasters had failed to discover the trap set 
for them, and had rushed in blindly, drawing in sev- 
eral thousand of their friends also. When it dawned 
upon them that they had been misled, they sought to 

83 


84 


TEEBMOMETEES AND BAB0METEB8. 


get even with Gordon & Co^ by reporting them ; 
hence so many complaints. 

The circular contained a beautiful cut of an elab- 
orate signal service combination thermometer and bar- 
ometer, which Gordon & Co. were manufacturing at 
their new and extensive works in Indianapolis. Then 
followed a sketch of the distinguished philanthropist 
who invented and gave to the world, through Gordon 
& Co., the wonderful combination thermometer and 
barometer, the accuracy and delicacy of which were 
absolutely perfect. 

Tlien the various uses to which these particular in- 
struments could be used were graphically portrayed ; 
and to any merchant, mechanic, professional man, or 
farmer, it was guaranteed that if the price of the in- 
strument was not saved by its use in a short time 
their money would be refunded. Owing to a serious 
break in the quicksilver market, these instruments 
could now be furnished by Gordon & Co. for $2.50 ; 
whereas before the break in quicksilver, the price of 
the signal service combination had never dropped 
lower than $4.25. 

Now was the time to take advantage of cheap prices. 
Gordon & Co. desired agents in every town and ham- 
let in the world. They requested each postmaster to 
send them the names of two or three reliable men in 
their section, who would be willing to handle the best 
selling article on earth, at which they could easily 
earn from $10 to $20 per day. 

The price of a sample instrument to any person, 
whose name the postmaster might furnish, would be 
placed at the remarkably low figure of $1, a m«r« 


THEBMOMETEES AND BABOMETEBS. 


nominal sum. For the generous services of the post- 
master one instrument, embracing the entire com- 
bination, would be forwarded free of cost — on receipt 
of thirty-seven cents to pay for boxing and pack- 
ing. 

When at first a hundred letters or so a day would 
be received at the post-office for Gordon & Co. noth- 
ing wrong was suspected, but when the number rose 
in one day to two thousand it was discovered that 
Jim Wildman, the postmaster, had been appropriately 
named. He flew frantically to the house of Gordon 
& Co. to ascertain if the business was straight. 

He met Mr. Gordon for the first time on this oc- 
casion, who took great pleasure in showing him 
through the establishment and introducing him to 
the large number of employes, who were all busy open- 
ing letters, counting stamps and money and packing 
the instruments for shipment. 

Mr. Gordon also called the postmaster’s attention 
to a large number of cases packed around the outer 
walls of the rooms. Suspended from the side of each 
of the cases, as you have seen shoes hanging out of 
shoe boxes in stores, was one of the signal service 
barometers and thermometers combined, indicating 
that each case was filled with them. This had a 
business look and greatly pleased Mr. Wildman, who 
was a business man. 

Mr. Gordon related to the postmaster the various 
interesting circumstances that combined to bring him 
from Pittsburg, where he left a good business, to em- 
bark with Mr. Arthur Block, his partner, in this 
business, which, he was very happy to say, was turn- 


80 THERMOMETERS AND BAROJfETERS. 

ingout to be much more lucrative than either Mr. 
Block or himself had anticipated. 

Up to this time there had been a lingering doubt in 
Mr. Wildman’s mind about the genuineness of the 
business, but the mere mention of Mr. Block’s name 
dispelled it all. If Block was a partner no further 
inquiries were necessary, and the postmaster quietly 
withdrew, after having apologized to Gordon for 
having bothered him when he was so busy. 

Mr. Arthur Block was a gentleman who needed no 
introduction to the business people of Indianapolis. 
He was the business manager for one of the largest 
printing establishments in the city ; prominent in the 
secret societies, and treasurer of one or two. His 
family and their associates were regarded as among 
the most respectable people in the State. 

The reputation and character of Mr. Block was 
spotless, and it is evident that almost any person who 
knew him would have reached the same conclusion 
the postmaster did the instant he was told that Block 
was a partner in the thermometer and barometer 
business. So much for a good reputation. 

The business of Gordon & Co. progressed vigorously 
and uninterruptedly from that time forward till the 
complaints from thousands of postmasters, who had 
forwarded 37 cents and had received nothing, had be- 
come alarmingly conspicuous. The enterprising firm 
withstood the storm of indignant letters and postal 
cards just as long as they thought the genial atmos- 
phere of the Indiana capital would be beneficial to 
their happiness, and than they suddenly, and without 
warning to their employes and creditors, decided to 


THERMOMETERS AND BAROMETERS. 87 

taiie a rest. They rested sometime during the night 
before my arrival. 

The morning I came, one of the creditors had 
made the startling discovery that the large cases, 
supposed to be filled with thermometers and barom- 
eters, really were filled with air, which at that time 
was not worth much ; and over Gordon’s desk was 
pinned a little note, informing those interested, that 
Mr. Gordon had suddenly been called away east, 
and that his stay might be indefinite. 

Soon afterward it was also learned that the truly 
good man, Mr. Block, had not appeared at his busi- 
ness that day, and neither had any excuse for his 
absence been received ; and still later, when he could 
not be found, it was discovered that the accounts of 
the Printing Company would not balance into a 
thousand or two, and that the funds belonging to 
the various lodges and trusts had also disappeared. 

Indianapolis was so 'badly shaken up by these 
revelations, that the town clock stopped. The people 
had not known much about Gordon, but they had 
expected better things of Block. The only thing 
that astonished me particularly, was the fact that, 
with the price of glass, tin, and quicksilver at the 
maximum, a whole wagon-load of the simple barom- 
eters and thermometers could be bought for two 
dollars and a half. 

But it was a clever scheme, and Gordon & Co. 
had gone with a handsome sum of money. So ex- 
tensive a swindle could not be easily condoned, and 
we must bring the men back. Inspector Ray was 
assigned to assist me. 


88 THERMOMETEES AND BAROMETERS, 

In looking up Gordon we ascertained that his real 
name was Benjamin Franklin Gardner, and that he 
possessed a few talents that were decidedly original. 
He had lived in the oil country in Western Pennsyl- 
vania, where he was well known. We had Block 
located in a short time in Philadelphia, where he 
had engaged as a traveling salesman; but we did 
not care to molest him till Gardner was in hand, 
fearing that if one was arrested and not the other, 
we would never get the other. 

Not long afterward we heard of Gardner in Florida, 
where, under the name of Heuling, he was booming 
a new town. Ray was to go after Gardner, and I 
was to bring in Block. By an arrangement, neither 
of us was to disturb our man till each was ready, so 
that the arrests might be made simultaneously, thus 
guarding against accidents. The plan was carried 
out to the letter, and, on the day that Block was 
“rung-up” in Youngstown, Ohio, Gardner, alias 
Heuling, was surprised in the land of flowers. Both 
were returned to Indianapolis, where Block’s friends 
went his bail for appearance at court. Gardner, 
having no influential friends, was compelled to re- 
main in jail, awaiting the trial. The case was finally 
called before Judge Blodgett, of Chicago, who was 
chosen in place of the regular judge, who did not 
desire to preside. 

Both prisoners were easily convicted, but for 
some reason, unknown to the writer, the court set 
the verdict of the jury aside, so far as it pertained 
to Block, and, as a sort of compromise to Gardner, 
he was sentenced to one year at hard labor in the 


THERMOMETETtS AND BAROMETERS, S9 

Hendricks county jail, and given credit for the 
time he had already spent in the Indianapolis 
jail. 

At the Hendricks county jail, Gardner made him- 
self generally useful, teaching the sheriff’s children, 
till one afternoon when he went with them to a 
neighboring wildwood to instruct them somewhat in 
the works of nature, he forgot to return. I believe, 
however, he did return in a few weeks, bringing with 
him one of the signal service thermometers and 
barometers, which he presented to the sheriff, for 
which kindness the sheriff generously allowed him to 
remain till his time was up. 

While enjoying the hospitalities of the sheriff the 
last time he decided to drop quicksilver, and put 
some of his knowledge of oil to practical use ; so he 
wrote a play, in which there were four characters ; a 
legitimate broker, an assumed oil man, a smart young 
man who could keep his mouth shut, and a news- 
paper reporter. He determined to carry out his play 
in reality, and his first move was to secure employ- 
ment on a Chicago newspaper. Then he contrived 
to secure an assignment wherein a visit to a well- 
known Chicago firm of brokers was necessary, culti- 
vated their acquaintance, kept posted on oil, and 
when the shut-down movement began in Pennsyl- 
vania gave the firm a “ tip,” which proved to be the 
right one. Gardner also made friends in all the 
other newspaper offices. Finally he made the start- 
ling assertion to the brokers that he could break the 
oil market to any figure he wanted. They were in- 
terested, and Gardner pulled out his little play 


90 THEBMOMETERS AND BABOMETEBS, 

and read it from the manuscript. It was decided to 
push the scheme ; Gardner and the broker to play 
two of the parts, while Richard Galvin and Alex- 
ander Reno were secured for the others. Galvin is 
an actor, and Gardner engaged him at a dramatic 
agency. Galvin was to play the assumed oil man. 
His work was to be done in one night and $40 and 
expenses were to be the reward. Reno was to play 
the smart young man, and the four came together 
and actually rehearsed their parts. It was decided 
to locate the imaginary well on the farm of E. S. 
Harris, eighteen miles from Carmi, 111. Reno was 
sent to that point. 

The same night the actor registered at the Briggs 
House, in Chicago, as Morris McLaughlin, of Brad- 
ley, McLaughlin & Co. Gardner, in the meantime, 
sauntered along the street, and encountering a news- 
paper man, invited him into a saloon ; the broker, 
per instructions followed, suddenly interrupting the 
conversation with a sneering reflection at Chicago 
natural gas discoveries, and intimating that it was 
no sensation at all compared with the discovery of 
oil in Illinois. Gardner feigned ridicule, and the 
broker insisted that the man who owned the well 
was at the Briggs House. 

Naturally the reporter made a bee line for the 
hotel, talked with McLaughlin, and by him was 
shown a pan of genuine petroleum which had been 
procured from Pennsylvania. Gardner, in the mean- 
time, watched for other reporters, and with the aid 
of his broker accomplice soon had them looking for 


THEB3I0M^rEI{S AND BAHOjIETERS. 91 

McLaughlin, who, as part of the plot,, exhibited a 
telegram from Reno at Carmi. It read as follows : 

“Well continues to flow at intervals of twenty 
minutes. Powers estimates the output at eighty 
barrels an hour. Gas strong and can be heard miles 
away. Will look for tanks via Short Line.” 

Later in the night a newspaper wired Carmi to 
investigate the report, and the lone and innocent 
operator used the only information at hand. He 
duplicated Reno’s message in substance. The next 
morning the oil market in the East broke and the 
Chicago broker cleared $20,000. Gardner does not 
know whether that was all his profit, but at any rate 
a division was made on that basis, which he saj^swas 
almost as good as the thermometer and barometer 
business. 




THE FORCE OF HABIT. 


It had become evident that some person, some- 
where in Central Illinois, was tampering with the 
mails, and more particularly with that portion of them 
known as registered letters. Letters that contained 
valuable enclosures, generally money, were often re- 
ceived at the offices to which they were intended, and 
by the persons to whom they were addressed, in a 
slightly damaged condition and minus a portion, if 
not all, of the sum stated to have been enclosed. 
The reports of this nature were becoming so nu- 
merous that it was decided that other work must be 
dropped till after the thief had been caught. 

By grouping the complaints, comparing the indorse- 
ments on the backs of the package envelopes, and 
by studying the movement of the mails on certain 
stage-routes, and railroads, it appeared to one well 
trained in that business, that the depredations were 
being committed in the office at Lincoln. There was 
just one fact, however, that did not harmonize with 
the theory. It did not seem possible that the letters 
that had been rifled could have remained in the Lin- 
coln office a sufficient length of time for a person to 
have performed th® work so cleverly. Not one of 

93 


94 


THE FOECE OF HABIT. 


them had been delayed anywhere, and they had all 
evidently been opened by the same person. 

Henshaw said he knew it was done in Lincoln be- 
cause it could not have been done anywhere else. So 
he went down to take a look at the postmaster and 
the clerks, without letting anybody in Lincoln know 
who he was or what was up. 

By putting himself in a certain position on the out- 
side of the post-office, at about the time of day the 
robberies must have been committed, if done there, 
he could command a very fair view of the desk on 
which the registers were handled. He saw one pe- 
culiar motion and withdrew, thoroughly satisfied it 
was done right there, and by the assistant post- 
master. 

The next day, at the same hour, Samuel Glover, 
the same assistant postmaster, on the same desk, 
rifled another register letter and from it took $40 of 
Henshaw’s personal funds. Of course, if Glover had 
known that the forty dollars belonged to Henshaw 
he would never have taken it ; for everybody had 
heard of Henshaw, and knew that it was dangerous 
to appropriate anything that belonged to him. This 
same assistant postmaster knew this as well as any- 
body in Illinois, but he was so very anxious to get 
the $40 that it never occurred to him that the money 
might be Henshaw’s. 

Henshaw was so particular about small financial 
transactions, that he would never put even a dollar 
in a letter to be mailed without carefully taking a 
description of the bill. He did this^partly from 
force of habit (though this is not the one I am aiming 


mE FORCE OF HABIT, 


Oo 


to illustrate), and partly as a precautionary measure. 
He wanted to be able to identify it should he be 
favored with an opportunity. 

There were a few who did not know that Henshaw 
was so particular, but I trust no one will be foolish 
enough to fancy, for an instant, that he could not tell 
the spots on every one of those forty dollars that 
Glover had just stolen from the registered letter. 

Time and again had Henshaw performed ^he act 
of leaving some of his money in a thief’s way, and he 
had yet to make a mistake or lose a dollar. He knew 
he was right on this occasion ; yet when he asked 
Glover to return the $40, Mr. Glover became indignant 
and said he did not have it. He said he did not 
have it because he knew not what else to say. Up to 
this time, no one in Lincoln ever thought that Sam 
Glover could tell even a plain, simple falsehood ; 
much less a cool, calculating lie. If there was any- 
thing the average Lincoln man despised, it was the 
colossal liar. A man might do other mean things in 
Lincoln and thrive, but if he was caught in a gigantic 
lie the first families would surely turn their backs 
upon him. 

Henshaw told Glover he didn’t care to catch him 
in a lie, and be under the painful necessity of letting 
the reporters know for how small a sum it had been 
told. It was bad enough, Henshaw said, to steal, but 
to steal and lie too, and be caught at both, was a very 
bad example for an exemplary gentleman to hold up 
to the other members of society, who had no use for 
liars. 

Still Glover did not appear to reason like that, and 


^6 


mi) FOnCE OE BABlt 


still he insisted that he didn’t have the |40 ; but when 
Henshaw said he would have to make a search, the 
thief weakened and quietly produced the identical 
money, which was handed to the postmaster to com- 
pare with the memorandum. Then he wanted Hen- 
shaw to promise to let him off and keep the matter 
out of the papers, if he would pay back something 
like $700 he had stolen and sent to a friend in Louis- 
ville fof safe-keeping. 

Henshaw never made promises he knew he could 
not keep, but he recovered every dollar that had been 
stolen ; with which every loss was made good ; the 
service in that section was purified ; the newspapers 
had their say, and Glover went to Joliet for three 
years. That’s the kind of a man Henshaw was. Now 
comes the force of habit referred to. 

It is the custom when you are sent to the peniten- 
tiary — I mean when any one is sent to the peniten- 
tiary — for the warden to ascertain what occupation 
the prisoner last followed, so that the prisoner, if 
possible, may be employed in the same manner while 
he is serving out his sentence. 

Well, Glover didn’t know anything but post-office 
business ; so they put him in charge of the prison 
post-office, the former postmaster’s time having ex- 
pired the very day that Glover registered. Matters 
ran smoothly for a time, as they always do with new 
postmasters. 

After a few weeks, however, complaints commenc- 
ed coming, to the effect that valuable letters and 
packages mailed by friends outside to prisoners inside 
failed to arrive. The trouble continued. Glover said 


mt: FORci: of habit. 


9T 

it must be in the Joliet office, and it did look that 
way. Henshaw went down to ascertain, and in less 
than half a day he had his man, and it was — Glover. 

The prison post-office being a private one, no arrests 
could be made for depredations made on the mails 
after the same had been delivered from the regular 
post-office at Joliet. A few courts have ruled, how- 
ever, within the last few months, that any person, 
who steals or rifles letters after they have left the 
custody of the department, and before they reach the 
hands of the persons to whom they were addressed, 
shall be punished the same as if the depredations had 
been committed before the letters left the regular 
post-office. This construction of the statute will 
sooner or later become general, as I think it should. 

Nothing, therefore, could be done with Glover, but 
to remove him from office. So he was transferred to 
the cuisine department, where he spent his leisure 
moments preparing soup and hash, two familiar arti- 
cles of mild nourishment, from which nothing val- 
uable can be stolen. 


7 





BLINKY MORGAN, AND THE KID. 


Blinky Morgan was a very bad man ; the very 
worst I ever encountered. Too bad almost to write 
about, and I assure you I would not mention him 
now only for the fact that the record might be con- 
sidered incomplete if I failed to refer to the most 
notorious character that ever robbed a post-office or 
shot men down as one would mad dogs. 

I regret to state that I have been unable to obtain 
positive information as to his origin and right name, 
and I doubt if anybody knows where he came from 
or who he is. It is possibly best that it is so. I first 
heard of him scarcely two years ago, when, with two 
others of his kind, he made a tour of Indiana, starring 
the larger towns cracking safes. 

Morgan was a stoutly built man, of probably forty- 
five years, though, as he always appeared in stylish 
suits, shiny beavers, eye-glasses and gold-headed canes, 
he appeared much younger. His partners were younger 
still, though equally as well appearing. One was 
quite small and the other was quite tall and slim. 
Upon the trains and at the hotels they might easily 
be mistaken for genteel traveling men instead of ac- 
complished burglars. 


99 


100 BLlNKY MORGAN, ANU THE KID. 

At one well known town in Indiana the trio ap- 
peared one day. They did not enter the hotel to- 
gether, neither were they assigned connecting rooms, 
and never were they seen in conversation ; still they 
were there all the same. Quite a number of offices 
had already been cracked, and much was being said 
about the robberies in other parts of the State. After 
putting himself in trim Morgan sailed out to inter- 
view the sheriff. He was a fluent talker and could 
easily mislead any unsuspecting person. 

He found the sheriff at his office, and when he told 
him he had called for a private interview the office 
was cleared. Morgan told the officer that he had 
been sent out from Washington by the Postmaster 
General, who was much displeased at the inability of 
the Inspectors to run down and capture the gang of 
burglars that were making such sad havoc among the 
Indiana post-offices. His instructions were, he said, 
to confer with the sheriffs at the principal county 
seats with a view of making them more vigilant. 
The sheriff was pleased to receive so much attention, 
and, after visiting for half an hour, the two went out 
to admire the beauties of the town. 

Passing the post-office, they stepped in to pay their 
respects to the postmaster. The sheriff introduced 
the gentleman from Washington, who incidentally 
stated his business. He looked around approvingly, 
and finally with his cane marked the spot on the safe 
where the burglars had been in the babit of boring 
through the door to strike the combination. After 
eulogizing the Postmaster General on his efforts of 
reform, the stranger and the sheriff withdrew. Out- 


BLIJSTKT MOnGAN, AND THE KID. 101 

side they separated. The gentleman from Washing- 
ton told the sheriff he was going over to Peru and 
would be back to-morrow, when he would call on him 
again. 

Those who have since come in contact with Morgan 
will easily understand how much like him this trans- 
action was, and those who know him will scarcely 
be surprised when I state that on that night this post- 
office was robbed, and that the safe door was bored 
exactly where the gentleman from Washington had 
marked it with his cane. 

The most dejected man in town the following day 
was the sheriff, and the second most disconsolate was 
the postmaster. Every effort possible was made by 
the police and the local detectives to find the stran- 
ger, but he had changed his appearance and silently 
stolen away. 

It was evident to me that the burglars were work- 
ing northward and that we would next hear of them 
somewhere in Western Michigan ; and sure enough 
we did. Manistee was the next town that was re- 
ported. Here they made a big haul, and, as usual 
got away with it. 

The day before the robbery here the men were 
seen and suspected, for the reason that one of them 
— the small one — was identified by some one as Ken- 
nedy of Detroit, who had a terrible record. Search 
for Kid Kennedy, as he was known, was instigated 
and pursued everywhere, but without avail. 

The next week two safes in Ludington went down 
in one night under the magic manipulations of Mor- 
gan, Kennedy & Co., but for some unknown reason 


102 BLINKY MORGAN, AND THE KID. 

the one in the post-office was spared. And here as 
elsewhere the burglars succeeded in escaping the 
officers. This satisfied me that they were very keen, 
for no town was better equipped at that time for 
capturing robbers than Ludington. The sheriff and 
chief of police were rustlers of the old school, and 
they were made of the truest metal. Yet, for all 
this, you will bear in mind that no suspicious per- 
sons had been seen, no one had been suspected and 
nobody was captured. 

The following week a gayly mounted circus was 
passing through the land and in its fancy flight halted 
for a day in Hart, the county seat of Oceana county. 
It is a well established fact that nothing attracts the 
bad men like the circus. Others go to purchase 
amusement, but they follow in its. train because of 
the crowds and confusion which better enables them 
to operate unobserved. 

Thus it was that we 'looked towards Hart for 
another attempt to deplete the post-office revenues, 
and our suspicions were proven well founded on the 
following morning by a telegram from the postmaster, 
which simply stated that his safe and two others in 
town had been robbed during the previous night. 

I repaired to Hart as quickly as possible, where I 
learned that in the morning after the robbery a fine 
team and wagon had been stolen from the stable of 
one of the citizens, and that they had been tracked 
northward on the road leading in the direction of 
Ludington, and that at that minute the postmaster, 
the sheriff and others were following in hot haste. 


SLINKY MORGAN, AND THE KID, 


103 


About eight miles out they found the team unhar- 
nessed and quietly feeding by the roadside. 

Two miles further on they were informed by a far- 
mer that three men took breakfast at his house about 
two hours before, and that afterward they went 
northward across the fields toward a piece of woods, 
saying they were going through the woods to a road 
beyond. 

The farmer gave an excellent description of the 
men and said he believed they were heading toward 
Ludington. One of the pursuers was directed to re- 
ton to Hart with the stolen team and to wire the 
officers in Ludington to be on their guard, while the 
others proceeded to the woods and continued a tire- 
less and unsuccessful search. 

Late that night a watchman on the south side of 
the river at Ludington was engaged to row three 
men across. They told him they had been out to a 
party near there and were just returning. Only for 
their general appearance, which indicated a long 
tramp and much fatigue, and their queer-looking 
bundles, the watchman possibly would not have been 
suspicious. 

Fortunately, too, he had heard of the Hart robbery, 
so he lost no time in letting the police know what he 
had done, and on the following morning every officer 
in Ludington was quietly scanning the personal ap- 
pearance of every stranger. 

Shortly after nine o’clock a gentleman wearing eye- 
glasses and good clothes entered a restaurant, carry- 
ing a small hand-bag. After partaking of a hearty 


104 


SLINKY MORGAN, AND THE KID, 


meal lie asked the keeper if he would kindly care for 
the bag till he returned an hour later. 

As the gentleman walked out on the street the 
keen eyes of the officers were upon him, and, observ- 
ing the suspicious glances, the stranger turned and 
walked hurriedly away. The officers followed closely. 
The pace of the man Avas quickened, and seeing the 
officers were also good pedestrians, he sprang like a 
hound and ran like an antelope toward a piece of 
woods in the outskirts. 

This was the signal for a lively race and skirmish, 
and it was instantly accepted by the officers and 
many others who pursued with eagerness. When 
about half-way to the woods the officers and others 
realized danger, for the fleeing man had halted long 
enough to turn and Are three shots at the enemy. 

The exciting chase continued just the same, and 
just as the man was about to enter the woods he 
turned instantly and fired twice at the sheriff AAdio 
was nearest to him. The shots were returned, but 
nobody was hit. 

Men were coming in all directions, and five minutes 
the band of volunteers anxious to distinguish them- 
selves in police duty had been swollen to several 
hundred. The piece of woods was quickly surrounded, 
and when the word came from the commander of the 
forces, the ranks slowly began to close in. Every 
man had his gun and eye cocked for game — some- 
thing that sometimes wore eye-glasses. The ground 
was a little soft and marshy and the hunters were 
admonished to proceed with great care. 

Larry Flanders, I think his name was, was walk- 


BLINKT Mono AX, ANT) THE KIT). lOo 

ing a log intently attending to business, when he saw 
something glisten iinderneatii, and, looking closer 
discovered the head of a man and the briglit eyes of 
the mysterious stranger. The good news echoed and 
re-echoed through the pines, and three minutes later 
the body had been fished out and was being marched 
back to town in front of rifles, shot-guns and pop- 
guns. What had they captured ? 

The little bag in the restaurant was hastily exam- 
ined and was found to contain, besides a large num- 
ber of postage stamps, a lot of bonds belonging to 
the postmaster at Hart, and several old and rare coins 
that also belonged to the same postmaster, and which 
on the night of the robbery were in the safe in the 
Hart post-office. The watchman identified him as 
one of the men he rowed across the river the night 
before, and then there was no longer doubt as to 
what had been captured. 

The burglar gave his name as Charles Conklin, 
and in the exciting efforts to arrest him his two com- 
panions were entirely overlooked, and, of course, 
made good their escape. The only trace found of 
them was a hat which had been left at a store, where 
a new one had been purchased. This hat had been 
procured in Detroit, to which place I sent it, where 
Darby had it identified as Kennedy’s. 

Conkling was turned over to the sheriff from Hart 
about eleven o’clock, who, after binding him securely, 
left immediately with two guards. 

Word had been wired that they were on their way, 
and when they arrived the streets of Hart were 
thronged with men, women and children anxious to 


106 


BLINK Y MOEGAN, AND THE KID. 


get a look at the most distinguished individual that 
had ever favored the place with a visit. Judging 
from appearances, and from what little he had heard 
Conklin say since he had been with him, the sheriff 
was satisfied that there was no place in Oceana County 
strong enough to hold him, so he proceeded by next 
train to Grand Rapids, a city which was famous for 
a burglar proof jail. 

Conklin was examined on the following day before 
the U. S. Commissioner, who, of course, held him to 
await the action of the court then in session. The 
contents of the little bag found in Ludington were 
securely locked up in the great safe in the District 
Attorney’s office, and Conklin was returned to jail 
for safe keeping. 

That afternoon a small, bright, well-dressed young 
gentleman walked into the District office and asked 
for the District Attorney, to whom he stated that he 
had recently graduated from the law department at 
Ann Arbor, and being desirous of locating in the 
beautiful and flourishing city of Grand Rapids, he 
had been directed by a certain well-known lawyer in 
Detroit, to call on him, the District Attorney, who 
would likely consent to have him read law in his 
office. 

The kind-hearted District Attorney said he was so 
badly pressed with government business just then 
that he would be unable that day to talk with him at 
length on the subject of admitting him to his office, 
but if he would come around the following day he 
might be able to spare him a few minutes. 

The young gentleman did not mark the spot on 


BLINKT MOUGAN, ANB THE KID. 107 

the safe with his cane, where he would be best able 
to strike the combination, but as he gracefully with- 
drew, the attorney turned to one of his associates 
and remarked that he was very favorably impressed 
with the young man, and he prophesied a brilliant 
success for him in the legal world. 

That night some burglar stole into the basement of 
the government building in Grand Rapids, worked 
his way unobserved up through the post-office to the 
floor above, opened the door of the District Attorney’s 
office with a jimmy, and was at work on the door of 
the safe inside, which he had almost succeeded in 
opening, when he heard the footstep of the watch- 
man in the hall outside, jumped to a Avindow and slid 
away on a rope, without securing the articles he was 
after. The young lawyer from Detroit did not re- 
turn on the following day, and the District Attorney 
saw nothing that resembled him except the picture 
of Kid Kennedy. 

Conklin was indicted by the grand jury then sit- 
ting, and was at once arraigned for trial. He had 
engaged one of the shining lights of the Grand Rapids 
bar to defend him, and when his case Avas called the 
attorney asked to have it put over to the next term, 
stating that it would be manifestly unfair to his client 
to be tried now, without being allowed time to secure 
witnesses to prove his innocence and good character. 

The District Attorney told hoAV simple the case 
was, and plainly illustrated that it Avas one of the 
positive kind that did not even admit of any defense, 
yet it went over for three months, and Conklin was 
again taken back to jail for safe keeping. 


108 


BLINKY MOBGAN, AND THE KID. 


About this time a strange woman appeared in 
Grand Rapids, who said she was Conklin's wife. She 
brought him new suits of clothes, and tried to fix him 
up so that the argus-eyed farmer living ten miles 
north of Hart would not be able to recognize him as 
one of the three men he entertained the morning of 
the robbery. The woman got the clothes and other 
things into Conklin’s possession some way, but the 
farmer said he guessed it would bother anybody to 
get that peculiar spot out of Conklin’s right eye. 

Still, notwithstanding this unsurmountable obstacle, 
the woman secured apartments in Grand Rapids and 
was allowed to do missionary work in and out of jail, 
long after everybody had been informed that she 
was not Mrs. Conklin, but the notorious Mrs. 
Lowery. 

It became necessary to know something more about 
Conklin, and with that end in view we undertook to 
get his picture. We took him to a gallery without 
his knowing where he was going, but the minute he 
realized what was intended he became frantic. Finally, 
with the aid of four policemen and two revolvers, a 
very good negative was secured. 

The photographs I mailed to all the prisons in the 
country, with a letter of inquiry, and from the peni- 
tentiary in Kingston, Canada, I received a reply 
stating that the picture was that of a man known 
there as Charles Morgan, who, owing to a peculiarity 
in his right eye was known avS “ Blinky ” Morgan, 
and that a few months Morgan and a young man 
named Kennedy, both of whom were in the Kings- 
ton prison for murder, had escaped. 


BLINKT JMOBGAN, AND ThD KlD. 


109 


By following up the record closely I also learned 
that he once had a hand in a notorious robbery in New 
York; that he went from New York to Cleveland, 
where he and Charles Lowery were engaged in an 
express robbery where a messenger was killed. Low- 
ery was arrested, and with the aid of Morgan and 
Mrs. Lowery broke jail and went to Canada. Morgan 
was shot in the performance, but not seriously enough 
to prevent him from going to Canada also. In Canada 
the record of the crimes of Lowery and Morgan 
would fill an entire book like this. 

They were stealing, robbing and shooting constant- 
ly, and in every instance when they were caught, Mrs. 
Lowery would turn up to assist them to break jail, 
or, failing in this, to influence the court in their be- 
half, and her success had been fully as remarkable as 
that of the men. 

They eii,tered the residence of a wealthy man in 
Belleville one night, and after they had secured all 
that was valuable and were leaving they were sur- 
prised by several railroad men. The robbers held 
the entire crowd at bay and succeeded, as usual, in 
escaping, though Lowery was afterward caught and 
returned to Belleville. 

Two days later Mrs. Lowery turned up and after 
a few days of her peculiar work Lowery escaped and 
returned to tlie states, where he was shortly after- 
ward caught for some robbery in Pennsylvania, where 
he was sent up for ten years. 

The same day that Mrs. Lowery assisted Lowery to 
get away from Belleville, Morgan shot and killed Jas. 
Marooney, omnibus driver at th« Walker House, To- 


110 BLlNKr 2rORGAN, AND TUB Eli). 

ronto, having also fired at and shot a policeman 
named Cuddy, slightly wounding him. Morgan was 
tried and convicted of murder in the first degree, but 
the presiding judge would not accept the verdict and 
ordered the jury back. They afterwards found a 
verdict of manslaughter, and Morgan was sentenced 
to five years in Kingston penitentiary, where he re- 
mained less than one. 

Having learned all this it was now quite clear why 
Morgan wanted time to prove his innocence and good 
character, and it was equally as clear what Mrs. 
Lowery’s particular business was in Grand Rapids. 
The sheriff in Grand Rapids, who was now the sole 
custodian of Morgan, was fully advised of these 
startling revelations from time to time, and finally, 
when it was known positively that arrangements had 
been completed for Morgan to break jail this fact 
was also telegraphed by me to Grand Rapids. 

Still with all these precautions Morgan did act- 
ually break out of that burglar-proof jail, the night 
before the court was to convene, and great was the 
excitement in consequence thereof. 

It may be interesting to know how he did it, -and 
as the story is quickly told, I will repeat it verhatum 
from the Leader of the following evening : 

“ Turnkey John Platte of the county jail awoke 
and arose at the usual hour this morning and came 
down from his room in the second story of the res- 
idence portion of the jail. As usual, he rapped on 
Sheriff Kinney’s door, and then opened the front door 
and let in Phillip Boos, the watchman, who for a 


BLiJSrKY MOBGAN, AND THE KID. Hi 

month past has been keeping guard of the jail prem- 
ises and patroling the yard outside. 

“ His next move was to open the wooden door lead- 
ing from the office entrance hallway into the prison 
department. The two heavy padlocks which were 
put on the iron door to make it more secure were 
lying on the floor on the threshold. The iron- 
grating door was ajar. 

“ Continuing his investigations Platte, leaving Boos 
at the door, proceeded into the jail, found the iron 
door open leading up stairs and which at night is al- 
ways fastened with a Yale padlock. More surprised 
and mystified than ever, Mr. Platte wended his way 
up the stairs and to the door of the east corridor, 
where the prisoners held on the most serious charges 
are confined. This doorway was open. Passing into 
the corridor the door of the cell which Conklin, the 
post-office burglar, was confined in, was found ajar 
and the cell vacant. 

“Pale, breathless, and terribly excited by his dis- 
coveries, Platte conveyed the startling news to Sher- 
iff Kinney, who was then making his toilet. Without 
formality and without boots, collar or vest, his face 
blanched with astonishment and surprise, the sher- 
iff hastened to make an examination of the premises. 
The doors, from the lower outside to the inner cell 
door, were all unlocked and open. 

“Not a scratch or mark was visible on the locks or 
bars to show that violence had been used. His own 
keys, the official keys of the jail, and the only ones 
known to be in existence, were in his safe in his of- 
fice where they were left the night before. In Conk- 


112 BLINKY MQliGAN, AND THE KW. 

lin’s cell was a dummy made of quilts and bed tick- 
ing, and a letter was found pinned to its breast. No 
trace or shadow of the missing prisoner could be 
found, nor were any clues left behind. 

“ ‘ How did Conklin get out ? ’ demanded Sheriff 
Kinney of Boyd, the murderer, who occupied the ad- 
joining cell and who was aroused from his sleep by 
the officers. 

“ ‘ Didn’t know he got away ! Is he out ? ’ ” replied 
the still half-asleep Boyd, who was startled into wake- 
fulness by the news. He very apparently had not 
the slightest inkling of how the thing was done, nor 
when. 

“ ‘ Did you hear Conklin get away ? ’” asked the 
sheriff of young Terrill, who occupied the next 
cell to Conklin on the other side. Terrill was as mucli 
surprised as Boyd and could hardly believe such a 
thing possible. None of the others in the corridors 
could shed any light on the affair. They were all 
asleep and none of them were aroused from their 
slumbers. 

“Philip Boos, who has been keeping guard at the 
jail premises for several weeks past, who last night pa- 
trolled a beat in front and on the south side of the 
jail portion of the yard, had seen no suspicious cir- 
cumstances or persons about the building during the 
night. It was seemingly a mystery to everybody.” 

The only amusing feature of Morgan’s escape, and 
the only one that contains very much mystery, is found 
in the valedictory which was pinned to the dummy 
in the cell. It reads as follows ; 


BLINKY MORGAN, AND THE KID. 113 

“Mr. Smart Sheriff: your Watchfulness has, 
Broken My heart, look at the wreck you have maid 
of Me. I hope you will Burry me in the ventalate 
whare you Prevented me from getting out by your 
Watchfulness, you are very Wachfull But thare ar 
Others that are mor watchfull than you. I am Sorry 
for Big John he was so very Kind to me and My 
whife. he Ot to have ben Nommated for Sheriff. 
Such a Nobile looking man. Geate god, the Cock- 
roaches will miss him when he his gon. Th only 
frend I had in your ho tell was littell Graice. When 
she reads this letter she will Laugh untill She will 
be unabill to talk. I will miss the Mush and Milk 
and Roust Beefe, that is it, I think I Eate to much 
Beeff, that is wot Kild your two Blood Hounds. 
Well, Mr. Wachfull, my Spirit will be in Europbefor 
you get the crape of of your old Hat. I am mucTi 
obliged to my many friends for sending you so many 
letters about Me. No wonder your Hair is gray. 

“ Very Respectfuly, 

“ Charles Conklin. 

“ P. S. ; If you offer a Reward ofer a Big one So 
that the Snakes will git well paid for finding me. 

“ Ratts.” 

At the time of Morgan’s escape, I was engaged in 
the east on an important case, and so of course, could 
not give him any attention. The District Attorney 
and the Marshal in Grand Rapids, however, wrote 
pleadingly to the Post-office Department to assist them 
in finding him, which I think could have been easily 

done, but for some reason a deaf ear was turned to 
8 


114 


BLINKY MORGAN, AND THE KID. 


their appeals, and not the slightest effort was ever 
made outside of Grand Rapids to recapture him. But 
it may be of interest to many to know if we ever 
heard of him again, so I will briefly relate. 

Scarcely three months afterward there occurred, in 
the winter of 1887, in Cleveland, one of the greatest 
robberies on record. On this occasion the largest fur 
store in that city was entered through the roof of the 
building, and thousands of dollars worth of furs were 
stolen in a single night. The work of the robbers 
was done so cleverly that there was positively no 
clues to aid detection, and the best detective skill in 
this country was employed on the case. 

After several weeks of hard work it was settled 
that some of the stolen goods had found their way 
into Pittsburg, and, as a result of careful watching, 
Kid Kennedy — ^the same young man who wanted to 
read law in Grand Rapids — was arrested in Pittsburg, 
and charged with having been connected with the 
robbery. He was examined and held, and two Cleve- 
land city detectives, Capt. Henry Hoehn and Mr. 
W. H. Hulligan, left Pittsburg one night with Ken- 
nedy to take him back to Cleveland. Everything on 
the trip passed without interruption till just after 
the train had left Ravenna, when, without warning, 
Blinky Morgan, James Robinson, and John Coughlin 
entered the car and commenced shooting at the 
officers and others. 

The train was stopped, when the terror-stricken 
passengers jumped for their lives. Kennedy was re- 
leased, when he quickly disappeared in the darkness 
with Morgan, Robinson, and Coughlin, while the two 


BLINKT MOBGAN, AND THE KID. 


115 


detectives were left for dead. Soon afterward Hulli- 
gan died, but Captain Hoebn, after much suffering, 
recovered. As soon as possible, after such an en- 
counter, the train proceeded, when everybody in 
Ravenna turned out to run down the murderers. But 
they didn’t run them down. 

When the news of this sad affair reached Cleveland 
in the morning, the excitement was very great. There 
was nothing that the public-spirited citizens were not 
willing to do to bring Morgan and his crowd to jus- 
tice. Large rewards were offered for them and every- 
thing was done that human hands could do. 

Men were sent to all parts of the country to watch 
for them and to see if certain prisoners, who were 
suspected, could not be identified as being some one 
of the number wanted. Photographs and descrip- 
tions were sent to every sheriff and chief of police in 
this and every other country, and, at last, after sev- 
eral months of anxious waiting, the effects bore 
fruit. 

Charles L. Lynch, the sheriff of Alpena, Michigan, 
quite unexpectedly one day, discovered that there 
were three strangers stopping at the house of Mrs. 
Frank Williams. They did not go out much and 
their peculiar actions somewhat excited the curiosity 
of the neighbors. 

Mr. Lynch compared their descriptions with those 
sent out by the Cleveland people, and found a very 
striking resemblance. So striking in fact, that he 
decided to arrest them and send to Cleveland for 
some one to come and identify them. He summoned 
a sufficient number of men to assist him and on the 


116 


BLINKT MORGAN, AND THE KID, 


following morning they were to watch their oppor- 
tunity. Quite early, Robinson and Coughlin came 
from the Williams residence and started toward the 
wharf, where was lying a steamer going to Detroit. 
The two went aboard the steamer, and were quickly 
followed by half a dozen of the sheriff’s party, who 
soon surrounded them, and instantly pointed three 
revolvers at each person and commanded them to 
“ hold up.” They were securely bound, and before 
the news could reach their rendezvous, the sheriff and 
three others started back to arrest the third man. 

Arriving at Mrs. Williams’ establishment, they 
quietly entered, and, an instant later, sprang upon 
Morgan, who was visiting with Mrs. Williams and 
making a bouquet. Quick as was the sheriff he was 
not quick enough, for before he got the irons on his 
prisoner, Morgan had fired and hit him. 

The wound was not considered dangerous, so 
Morgan and party were transferred to Cleveland, and 
soon afterward Mr. Lynch died from the effects of 
Morgan’s shot. I should, perhaps, add here that Mrs. 
Williams is a sister of Mrs. Lowery. 

From Cleveland, the three robbers and murderers 
were taken to Ravenna for trial. Morgan was tried 
first and was found guilty of murder in the first 
degree and was sentenced to be hanged in the peni- 
tentiary at Columbus, on March 16, 1888, and it was 
hoped by everybody that nothing would happen to 
interfere with the highly appropriate proceeding. 

In this fond hope, the people were somewhat disap- 
pointed. ; Mrs. Lowery went to work again, and a 
stay of two months was granted in February to enable 


BLINKY MOBGAN, AND THE KID. 117 

the Court of Appeals to decide whether or not he 
should have a new trial. Strange, isn’t it, that such 
a man should receive any consideration, especially 
after it had been once decided to hang him ! 

Fortunately the anxiety felt on the announcement 
of the two months’ stay was dispelled early in April, 
by an announcement from the court that there was 
not good ground for a new trial, and that Morgan 
must hang on June 1st, 1888. 

Robinson was also convicted, and was sentenced 
to be hanged in Columbus, April 27, 1888. 

Coughlan likewise was convicted of murder in the 
first degree, but before he received his sentence a 
new trial was agreed upon, the result of which is not 
known at this writing. 

Kennedy, the Kid, I regret to say, has not been re- 
captured, and his whereabouts are unknown. Of 
course he is practicing law somewhere, and if any of 
my readers will write and tell me where, I will ar- 
range matters so that they will not be obliged to do 
any more real hard work for several years. 



THE PERRY RUBBER WORKS. 


One Christmas day, about two years ago, found me 
in Des Moines, Iowa, which, by the way, is a very 
pleasant city to spend a holiday in. The day was 
unusually cold and windy, and as I was hugging the 
hotel fires closely, contemplating a pleasant visit at 
John Beckwith’s that evening, to attend a Christmas 
festival, I rejoiced to think my business was such 
that it would enable me to remain indoors for at least 
one day, and especially one like that. Presently the 
mail from the east arrived, and among the letters I 
received was one that appeared to be important, and, 
one that being important, demanded immediate 
attention. 

It appeared from the numerous papers in the case 
that the Rubber Works located at Perry, Iowa, had 
for some time been receiving money from almost 
every State in the Union, which it had retained with- 
out forwarding anything in return to the people who 
had thus contributed to its funds. Inasmuch as I 
had made arrangements to leave Des Moines on the 
following day in another direction, I was compelled 

119 


120 


THE PERRY RUBBER WORKS, 


to send my regrets to the Christmas tree and go to 
Perry that afternoon. The train was to leave at one 
o’clock. It was prophesied at the hotel that owing 
to the terrible wind-storm it would not go. But it 
did go, and I went with it. 

About an hour later when we reached Perry the 
wind was blowing a hundred miles an hour, and the 
mercury in the thermometers had dropped completely 
out of sight. The train was side-tracked to make way 
for the storm, and the passengers were comfortably 
housed in the depot building. 

Five minutes later I went out on the south side of 
the depot to take a retrospective view of the town, 
and to see if I could perceive the Rubber Works. 
The Rubber Works were not visible, and neither was 
there a man, dog, nor other living thing in sight. 
The post-office, the stores, and even the saloons, were 
closed, as they are on the Sabbath. It was a splendid 
day to remain indoors, so I returned to the waiting 
room to converse with the station agent. 

He stirred up the fire, added four bushels of soft 
coal, and then conveyed the cheerful intelligence to 
the anxious passengers that they might as well try 
and be comfortable as there would probably be no 
more trains out or in that day. “ Owing to the 
storm,” he said, “ the wires are all crossed or down, 
and here you all are like shipwrecked voyagers on a 
lonely shore, unable to journey elsewhere, or even 
receive information from friends.” 

I told him, if the wire between the depot and the 
Rubber Works was working, I would be obliged if he 


THE PERBY RUBBER WORKS, 121 

would call up the works and ascertain if the secretary 
or any of the officers were in. 

“ The wire between the depot and what place did 
you say ? ” 

“ The Perry Rubber Works.” 

“ There is no wire running to the Perry Rubber 
Works that I know of.” 

“ Well, then, how will be my best way to get over 
to them ? ” 

“ Where did I understand you to say ? 

“ The Perry Rubber Works.” 

“ I have been an operator at this station since early 
last spring and have been on the line for two years 
and a half, and I’ll be hanged if this isn’t the first time 
I ever heard of the Perry Rubber Works. You have 
surely struck the wrong town. There are half a 
dozen other Perrys scattered around in other States 
that I know of, and probably you will find the Rubber 
Works in some of them. Surely they are not here.” 

“ No, I am not making any mistake. I was directed 
to go to Perry, Dallas County, Iowa. This is certainly 
the spot for the Rubber Works, and where are they ? ” 

“ Yes, this is Perry, Dallas County, Iowa, sure 
enough, but — ” 

“ Mebby he means Jim Johnson’s place, where 
Frank Peters used to make rubber stamps last sum- 
mer,” chimed in an interested auditor on the back 
seat. 

“ Possibly,” said the operator, “ What do the people 
make that you want to find ? ” 

“Judging from the appearance of the complaints, 
I should say, rubber stamps.” 


122 


THE PERBY RUBBER WORKS, 


“ Well, then, come with me,” said the interested 
auditor, who had awoke sufficiently to think he saw 
a small fee, I believe it’s Johnson’s place you want.” 

I borrowed a buffalo coat of the operator, and soon 
the I. A. and myself had started for Johnson’s place. 
We backed against the cutting wind around half a 
dozen blocks to one end of the town, and finally 
brought up at what would have been an entirely vacant 
square only for an old building that graced the center. 
From the appearance of the surroundings it was evi- 
dent that it had once been a blacksmith shop. There 
was no sign of life, and to enable us to escape the 
fury of the blast we quickly entered through a win« 
dow. 

In the further end of the deserted and desolate 
place stood a ladder leading to a hole in the floor 
above. To my astonishment my companion led the 
way to the ladder and commenced to ascend. I at- 
tempted to follow, and, being about three sizes larger 
than the other gentleman, and, being burdened with 
the great coat, which added to my natural weight 
considerably, a painful realization soon stole over me 
that the ladder was too frail and the hole too small. 

I was obliged to reduce my corporosit}^ and avoir 
dupois by removing all the clothing possible, which 
I sent up on the end of a long bellows-handle that 
had evidently been blown out of place by the bursting 
of some of the strong wind condensers and cold air 
pumps that had been shaking things up around Perry 
for sometime. At last I ascended without accident 
and entered in safety, when my shivering friend ob- 


THE PEBRT BUBBEB WOBKS, 123 

served: “Here, I think, is all there is left of the 
Perry Rubber Works.” 

I frankly acknowledge that I am at a loss to find 
words to faithfully picture the wild chaos and confu- 
sion that greeted my eyes. The velocity of the wind, 
which at the station I had estimated at a hundred 
miles an hour, could not even be conjectured here, 
while it was so cold that words fairly floated away in 
the form of icicles. All the windows, including the 
frames and sash, had fallen a helpless prey to the de- 
stroying elements and long since had been ruthlessly 
carried away to the mysterious somewhere ; and it 
seemed to me -that each rapidly succeeding breath of 
the raging hurricane would be the one upon which 
the interested auditor, myself, and the Rubber Works 
would soar away to other realms, and no one would 
be left to tell the tale. 

The floor and a few of the rafters were still there ; 
and in one corner protruded an iron pin with a crook 
on the end, above which, at some remote period in 
the halcyon past, the words “ order hook,” had been 
written. The hook and traces of the words remained ; 
but the orders, alas ! where were they ? Ask the 
howling tempest. 

Destruction and desolation reigned supreme, and it 
was evident to one unused to such scenes, that the 
unfilled orders, the letters, the books, the parapher- 
nalia, and possibly the proprietor, had been induced 
to fly with the wind, and that the blissful days of 
prosperity had been suddenly, though unhappily ter- 
minated. It was a sad sight, which, mingled with 
fear, was rapidly making me sick — sea-sick. 


124 tee PEBET bub bee WOBKS, 

The old structure shivered and shook like a floun- 
dered ship about to sink, and it seemed as if it, too, 
must soon go. I glanced to see if my friend was still 
on board, and, as I looked, he yelled : “ J ump for 
your life, she’s going.” 

Like a flash we sprang to the only natural place of 
exit, and in an instant had dropped to the floor below 
and had reached the open enclosure on the leeward 
side, and we reached the place of safety none too soon. 
The remaining rafters, the upper-floor, the clapboards 
and the order hook were the first to go. On the next 
blast followed all that was left below ; and in less 
time than I have been telling you, the last vestige of 
the Robber Works had been wafted away far beyond 
the sight of human eyes, and beyond the swelling of 
the tide. 

We lost no time in creeping back to the station as 
best we could, where, skirmishing considerably, I found 
a five dollar gold piece carefully tucked away in the 
only corner where the remorseless wind had failed to 
leave impressions of its cruel work. This I had in- 
tended for the Christmas tree, but I handed it to my 
kind guide, with many thanks for a safe deliverance, 
and with a parting request that he would find Johnson, 
if he was alive, and send him around to see me ^y 
time during the night. 

At about eleven o’clock there was a slight indication 
that the cyclone was getting weary. It was still 
strong enough to play with a small frame house as 
does the small boy with the little red balloon, yet, as 
I said before, there was a slight indication that it 
was getting tired ; but it was too slight to allow the 


THE PEBRY RUBBER WORKS. 


125 


return of confidence to any remarkable degree. By 
eleven-fifty there was a much more hopeful feeling 
prevailing in Perry, and just as the clock struck 
twelve Johnson blew in. 

He was a night-watchman somewhere ; and when he 
enumerated the vicissitudes he had encountered in 
his vain endeavors to operate the Rubber Works, 
fill the orders promptly, compete with older estab- 
lished plants, still do his regular work, and then, at 
last, to have everything swept away in a single hour 
he touched a responsive chord in my tender heart, and 
I regretted that I had already parted with my last 
dollar. 

The interview was highly satisfactory, and after I 
had told him so, I wrote a long report in which I in- 
formed the Department that I was satisfied Johnson 
did not start the business intending to defraud ; that 
his faith had unquestionably been good, but that his 
business qualifications and endurance, had been over- 
estimated by himself, and, not being a prophet, nor the 
son of one, he could not have foreseen the dire calamity 
that had just befallen his manufactory, in which every- 
thing had been swallowed up and carried away. 

I closed by saying I felt sorry, of course, for those 
who had paid for stamps and not received them, but 
I felt confident from Johnson’s appearance, that if 
anyone would kindly produce the original orders they 
would be filled. As it was, there was nothing to show 
who had stamps due them ; nothing to show who had 
paid, and absolutely nothing left of the business. 

At seven the next morning a train started back to 
Des Moines, and, after stopping occasionally to replace 


126 the pebet eubbee woeks, 

«ome of the track that was found in the neighboring 
fields, we arrived without serious accident at noon. 
I never returned to Perry afterward, nor have I looked 
during the last six months to see whether it is still 
on the map ; I may add, however, that up to this 
writing no tidings have reached me concerning the 
mysterious whereabouts of the Rubber Works. 


AN ACCOMPLISHED THIEF. 


How often are appearances deceitful? How man j 
occasions can you recall where you have widely missed 
the mark in attempting an estimate of a man’s true 
character simply from his appearance? Instead of 
“ some power to see ourselves as others see us,” we are 
frequently more in need of some power to see otliers 
as they see themselves. Who doubts it “ would from 
many a blunder free us, and foolish notion ? ” The ap- 
pearance, for instance, of Mr. W. H. Stark, indicated 
that he was an honest, upright, Christian gentleman. 
Everybody who saw him thought so, and none of his 
associates ever dreamed of anything to the contrary. 
It seems stranger than fiction, and so it is. 

Stark was a thief by nature, and in every position 
he had held from childhood to middle-aged manhood 
the funds of his employers had stuck to his fingers. 
Happily, for him, he had wealthy and influential 
relatives, who always came to his rescue. At last, 
when they were unable to place him in any private 
business where he could earn a livelihood, and, when 
no one who knew him could be induced to give him 
employment, they procured for him a position of 
trust in the New York post-office. 


127 


128 


AN ACCOMPLISBED THIEF. 


Neither before nor after Stark’s appointment was 
it deemed necessary for the postmaster to look up his 
record, because such “splendid recommendations” 
could scarcely be obtained from none other than a first- 
class man. But the postmaster was sadly deceived, as 
have been many other appointing powers, who have 
listened only to the plaintive tales woven by seduc- 
tive spoilsmen, wliose highest aim is often to force 
upon the government persons wholly unfit, and who, 
perhaps, as in Stark’s case, are unable to make an 
honest living where they are known. 

Matters ran smoothly for a while (as they always 
do till the thief can measure his ground and plan to 
operate ' successfully), till one morning a telegram 
came, announcing that a package sent by one of the 
banks in New York to another bank in Charleston, 
which contained $10,000, was not in the pouch when 
the same was received in the Charleston post-office. 

An investigation developed the fact that it would 
have been next to an impossibility for the package to 
have been left out of the Charleston pouch, either 
accidentally or intentionally at the New York office. 
The pouch arrived in Charleston in good condition, 
and the rotary number on the lock corresponded with 
the number named on the bill enclosed in the pouch. 
The pouch was opened in the Charleston office in the 
presence of two persons, who solemnly testified to the 
fact that it did not contain the package in question. 

The officer in charge of the investigation reported 
that, in his opinion, the depredation was not commit- 
ted in New York, but that the package was stolen in 
the Charleston office. No one doubted his sincerity, 


AN ACCOMPLISHED THIEF. 129 

but subsequent events show that the case was closed 
too soon, and before all of the persons who could 
have stolen the package were satisfactorily investi- 
gated. When the excitement had subsided, which 
large losses naturally create, matters in the registry 
division dropped back into their usual quiet mood, 
and thus they continued for many months. 

After a while, however, smaller losses, though 
equally as mysterious as the one just described, would 
be reported from time to time. The complaints were 
multiplying. Indeed, so frequent and regular were 
they coming that a most thorough investigation was 
demanded, and one was now in progress. 

In order that it might be thorough and effective, 
no employ^ of the office, was permitted, either by 
word or sign, to infer what was going on, and it had 
not progressed many days before certain astonishing 
facts were developed that completely snatched every 
ligament of the sanctimonious mask from the false 
face of William Henry Stark. 

Dosser and myself had scarcely recovered from the 
sensations which follow great surprises, when, one 
evening late, as we were discussing the interesting 
situation, word came from the registry division that 
another large package of money had just mysteriously 
disappeared. We were wholly unprepared for this, 
but it may be interesting to know that, in unison, 
we spoke the words : “ It is Stark.” 

What were the particulars ? It was about nine 
o’clock. The through register pouches from Kansas 
City, Memphis, San Francisco, St. Louis, St. Paul 

and Portland had been received and opened, and the 
9 


130 


AN ACCOMPLISHED THIEF. 


total number of pieces having been verified with the 
total number on each accompanying bill, the pack- 
ages were laid out on a long table, the contents of 
each pouch separate, though side by side in rows. 

The next operation was another verification and a 
separation — the packages for the city from those ad- 
dressed to offices in the vicinity. The second check- 
ing of the Kansas City, Memphis and San Francisco 
bills had been completed and the clerks had begun 
on St. Louis, when very soon, much to their aston- 
ishment, it was discovered that there was a package 
short — there being none to correspond with number 
47 on the bill. It was described as from Ironton, 
Mo., to Hoboken, N. J., and was evidently a letter 
of no great value. 

It had likely been accidentally misplaced, and a 
thorough search for it was instigated. This occupied 
considerable time, inasmuch as every package that 
had arrived that evening must be carefully examined. 
Not till they had reached the contents from the Port- 
land pouch did they find the package from Ironton. 
No one could explain how this particular package 
should be found in the Portland pile, and the situa- 
tion was still more mystified when, by the second 
comparison of the actual number of Portland pieces 
with the total on the bill, it was found that there 
was one missing, and that the Ironton package had 
been substituted to make the count correct. 

The cool-headed superintendent in charge took in 
the situation instantly. The bill showed that the 
missing package had been mailed in Portland and its 
destination was New York, and he had observed that 


AN ACCOMPLISHED THIEF. 


131 


on almost every night for weeks there had been re- 
ceived from Portland, Oregon, a large package of 
money addressed to the Park National Bank, New 
York. 

The one that had evidently arrived on this occasion 
had been stolen, and, too, by some person in the room 
where the pouches were opened. He therefore 
directed that no one should leave the building with- 
out his consent and he stationed a guard at the door 
to see that the order was obeyed. 

The package was probably stolen an hour before 
this, as about that much time had been consumed by 
the search, and, of course, during that hour the thief 
could have placed it where it could not be found. 

The clerks were marched in a body to another 
room, where they were confined till, one by one, each 
had been taken out, searched and thoroughly ques- 
tioned. Stark, much to the surprise of many, was 
not excluded, and, by arrangement, he was not called 
upon till all the others had passed the dreaded ordeal 
of the inquisition. During this time the missing pack- 
age had been found on the floor, in the corner of a 
closet, covered with scraps of waste paper. It was 
taken to the bank, where it was opened and found to 
contain fl0,000. 

When Stark’s turn arrived to be examined he came 
in looking slightly dejected, though affecting a happy 
frame of mind. The flood-gates were gradually 
opened, and the screws were turned tighter and 
tighter till finally his true character was so perfectly 
revealed that he broke down and admitted having 


132 


AN ACCOMPLISHED THIEF, 


stolen not only the Portland j)ackage, but the Char* 
leston package, and others as well. 

The following day he waived examination and the ^ 
wealthy relatives came forward promptly and gave 
bail for his appearance at courj). A day or two later 
he could not be found. The amount of the bond was 
paid, aftd the accomplished thief liad sailed away to a 
foreign land, where he now dwells in peace and 
plenty, and where his unconscious neighbors most 
likely regard him as the most pleasing American 
they ever met. 


JACOB SNEYDER’S TEST. 


People who are in the habit of enclosing money 
in ordinary letters to be sent by mail ought to correct 
themselves as they should of any other bad habit. 
While a person might follow the practice for a lifetime 
without injury to himself, the chances are more than 
even that, sooner or later, he will meet with, perhaps, 
a serious loss. 

A friend of mine, who had unconsciously fell into 
this way of doing business, and who had folloAved it 
for many years without annoyance or loss, one day 
enclosed a hundred dollar bill to his wife with in- 
structions for the lady to pay the taxes. The letter 
miscarried and the money was lost, while the taxes 
were still unpaid on the last day. Experience, which 
is often a cruel teacher, thus taught him the simple 
lesson I am now endeavoring to teach you. 

If you could have seen the thousands of complaints 
of losses of this kind that I have seen in my time, you 
would not wonder that I charge you to turn from the 
evil practice which is indulged in by so many of our 
people. While all of the ordinary letters that are 
lost are not stolen, many of them are, especially if 
they contain money. 


133 


134 


JACOB SNEYjDEB^S TEST. 


The thief in the postal service is the exception ; but 
is it any wonder that men, appointed as they are, 
because of no especial qualifications for the work they 
are to perform, should now and then turn out to be 
bad? We occasionally hear of such things in the 
higher walks of life, where men are supposed to be 
selected and retained for their fitness. 

Then again, the ordinary letter thief has opportu- 
nities unequalled for his nefarious operations. Thou- 
sands of letters a day are passing through his skilful 
hands, which have passed through, or which are to 
pass through many other hands before they are prop- 
erly delivered. He can slyly steal a few and who 
can tell which one of the many took them ? 

The ordinary letter thief works in a fertile field 
that knows no bounds ; and the remorse, the heart- 
aches and disappointments that follow his villainous 
endeavors no pen can describe. The thieves are not 
all caught, but eventually most of them come to 
grief. 

They are the most dangerous class of dishonest 
employes in the postal service, and the postmaster or 
other officer who has reason to suspect one, and who, 
instead of dismissing him, does not report his suspi- 
cions where they will receive attention, commits a 
grave mistake. 

The people from one end of the country to the 
other, as well as the thousands of honest employes, 
are vitally interested in his arrest and conviction. In 
my judgment there should be no mercy shown him, 
and the Department should bend every energy and 


JACOB SNETDEWS TEST. 


135 


spend every dollar necessary to turn him over to the 
tender mercy of an upright judge. 

Frequently he becomes so skilled in his work that 
days and weeks are devoted in the search for him, 
and then days and possibly weeks are devoted in ef- 
forts to catch him. Almost always he is one that 
nobody ever suspected. Usually he is a person who 
stands well with his working associates, and who has 
been an ornament in the circle of his home friends 
and companions. 

The very nature of his aims have made him sharp 
and cunning, but his friends and family have never 
noticed it. To illustrate how proficient they some- 
times become, allow me to relate the little story of 
Jacob Sneyder. 

Jacob was an assorting clerk in the post-office in 
Chicago, and, during his palmy days at the case, 
many ordinary letters containing money were being 
lost. After a few weeks, as Stuart would say, it was 
“ a cold day when thirty or forty complaints were 
not received. 

In that office alone were five hundred or more 
clerks and carriers who could have stolen the letters, 
yet in all probability four hundred and ninety-nine 
of them were honest and would not steal. Stuart and 
others worked days and nights ceaselessly, trying 
to locate the five hundreth man, and finally decided 
that Jake Sneyder, one of the oldest in point of ser- 
vice, and one of the best in knowledge and rapidity, 
was guilty of all. 

They had not seen him steal, but they had discov- 
ered certain unmistakable signs, known only to those 


136 


JACOB SNEYDER\S TEST. 


whose business it had been for years to locate crimes 
of this character. 

It did not seem hardly possible that a man of Sney- 
der’s make-up and social standing could be a thief, 
but actions spoke louder than the kind words of those 
who had always known him, and it was not long ere 
he fell before the strong glare of positive proof, and 
became a prisoner, in burning tears of unwilling sub- 
mission. 

In his confession that followed he told how he had 
successfully carried on his operations so long, and re- 
lated with much interest how skillful experience had 
made him. He could tell, lie said, by the touch of 
an ordinary letter whether or not it contained money. 

He did not ask that any-one believe the improbable 
statement unless he was given an opportunity to de- 
monstrate its truthfulness. He asked that a hundred 
letters be prepared and that in only one of them 
there should be plac*ed a dollar bill, and he would 
pick out the one that contained the money. 

The test was prepared, and in two of the letters, 
instead of one, was placed a dollar each. The pack- 
age was handed to Sneyder, who to the surprise of 
everybody present,, handled the letters rapidly, as if 
assorting them in a case, and when he reached the 
only two that contained money he threw them out, 
and, turning to his interested auditors, triumphantly 
asked : “ How vas dot for high ? ” 

Jacob did not think it was so very high, when 
three days later Judge Blodgett told him in plain, 
common English, that he believed they could dis- 
pense with his valuable services for about four years. 


PROFESSOR CURTIS, OF SYRACUSE. 


Picture in your mind’s eye an Apollo, who, like 
the mythological and classical son 'of Jupiter, was a 
god of eloquence, medicine, and the fine arts, and it 
may aid you in. mentally grasping the character 
known as Professor Curtis, who flourished for a brief 
period in Syracuse, N. Y., about the year ’87 in the 
nineteenth century. 

The Professor belonged to a well-known family in 
Buffalo by the name of Osgood, and when I remark 
that the Osgood family was a great family, not one 
of the thousands who knew the family will gainsay 
the observation. The head of this remarkable family 
was probably the noblest Roman of them all, and, 
like Hercules, the famous hero of antiquity, was cele- 
brated for his size and strength. 

The fair-haired Professor was the monarch’s eldest, 
and, at the time of which I write, was seven and 
twenty. He possessed the neck and shoulders, and 
possibly a few of the more prominent characteristics 
of his worthy sire ; but, unlike the swarthy parent, 
his skin was fair, his eyes were blue, his face was 
beardless, his cheeks were rosy, his hands were white 

137 


138 PBOFESSOR CURTIS, OF SYRACUSE. 

and soft, and, in the language of Dick Swiveller, he 
was a “flower.” 

Frequently he had been known to drop the honored 
family name, which had become familiar in the land^ 
and assume some other, which the scribes and phari. 
sees were unused to. This had been done, I regret 
to say, for the purposes of deception — to better enable 
him to fill his coffers from the pockets of the unwary 
and unsuspecting, who are everywhere. You may infer 
from this that he practiced to deceive, which infer- 
ence will be correct, for the art of deception was 
among the finest of which he was the haughty master. 

It would be a tireless task even to attempt to give 
you in one small volume the multitude of. names he 
had been known by, and the various places in which 
he had practiced ; so I have concluded to allude brief- 
ly and solely to his masquerades under the delusive 
title of Professor Curtis, of Syracuse, Mandana and 
Camillus. 

Sometime during the early portion of the year 
named, a small room on the top floor of the Weiting 
block, in Syracuse, was rented for a few weeks by a 
stranger, who gave no reference, and on the following 
day a small sign, which read, “Empire News Com- 
pany,” was hung on the door. In this little room, 
and under this business-like cover. Professor Curtis, 
his brother, and somebody who called himself Roberts, 
but whose right name God only knows, assembled to 
promulgate the Professor’s latest racket. 

They first mailed to two or three thousand news- 
paper publishers, outside of the State of New York, 
two small advertisements, for the publication of which 


PBOFESSOB CURTIS, OF SYRACUSE. 139 

for thirteen weeks, on the local page, next to pure 
reading matter, the publisher would receive one copy 
of Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, bound in sheep. 

This proposition was exactly what many publishers 
had been waiting for (the professor knew it), and 
fully fifteen hundred embraced the golden oppor- 
tunity. The advertisements were headed “ Bargains 
in Music,” and “ Another Art Craze,” which described 
articles that would be forwarded on receipt of price 
by the Empire News Co., principal office, Syracuse, 
N. Y., U. S. A. 

These propositions had scarcely passed out of the 
Syracuse post-office before two or three thousand 
others followed, which promised an Unabridged Dic- 
tionary for an eight weeks’ publication of two other 
short advertisements, which were headed Ladies 
Guide to Fancy Work,” and “Ladies, look here.” 
These also described something that would be for- 
warded on receipt of the price by the Empire News 
Company, principal office, Syracuse, N. Y., U. S., A. 
This proposition, you will observe, was much more 
liberal than the first, and, therefore, was accepted by 
eighteen hundred papers. 

But those propositions and advertisements were 
merely feelers to prepare the way for the grandest 
conception of the Professor’s brilliant career. The 
following alluring decoy was ’then dropped to the en- 
tire list of previously favored publishers, and the 
same will bring a smile from at least the few who 
have not previously seen it : 

Christian Herald : — Mr. Boherts is perfectly reliable. 

Christian Advocate : — Prompt and reliable in all liis 
dealings, Mr. Roberts is entitled to public confidence. 


140 


PROFESSOR CURTIS, OF SYRACUSE. 


Baptist : — Mr. Eoberts is a gentleman with whom it is 
a pleasure to transact business. 


Office of C. H. EGBERTS, Advertising Manager for the 
Empire News Co. General Advertising Agent. 


Syracuse, N. Y., Feb. 23d, 1887. 

TO PTIBLISHER .— 

Dear Sir : — ^For the insertion of the three following ad- 
vertisements Four Months (without change) per directions 
TO PRINTER, I will send you one set of CHAMBER’S 
ENCYCLOPEDIA, in six volumes, bound in sheep, library 
stjde, the price of which is ^24.00. The books will be 
shipped when advertising is half comjdeted and the express 
charges are to be paid by you. Advise me of your accept- 
ance of proposition and address me as ADV. AGENT so 
as not to confound this order with that of the Empire News 
Company. You will please observe directions carefully, so 
as to avoid unnecessary correspondence. 

Very truly yours, 

C. H. ROBERTS, Advertising Agent. 

N. B. — Publishers with whom we have accounts will be 
furnished with any books known to the trade at reasonable 
prices to apply on advertising. 


TO PRINTER : — Set all of the following advertisements 
as nearly as possible like copy with heavy displayed 
headings. They must be inserted immediately following 
or along side of pure reading matter, all to be run FOUR 
MONTHS (without change) and only one to be inserted 
in the SAME column. Follow directions carefully. 


PROFESSOR CURTIS, OF SYRACUSE. 141 

After you have feasted on the above sublime work 
of art allow me to call your interested attention to 
something in the medicine line, which appears in the 
form of the three advertisements, referred to above 
by the “perfectly reliable,” yet unknown Roberts. 
These appeared in probably fifteen hundred papers ; 

ABUSED WIVES 

Or maiden ladies suffering from any form of female 
complaint, sick or nervous headaclie, liver or kidney 
troubles, CAN BE RESTORED TO PERFECT HEALTH 
by Prof. Curtis’ lozone Treatment, which is the greatest 
boon for women ever discovered. It makes no difference 
what you have taken or who has failed to cure you. One trial 
of this treatment will always convince an entire community. 
The more desperate the case the more convincing are its 
merits. During the next thirty days one five dollar treat- 
ment will be delivered to any lady in the United States 
FREE who sends both express and post-office address and 
fifty cents to cover charges, boxing and delivery. In order- 
ing ask for “ Treatment A.” 

Address CURTIS lOZONE COMPANY, 

Syracuse, N. Y. 


ARE YOU NERVOUS ? 

Or do you suffer from indescribable feelings, both mental 
and physical ? Have you overworked or from other cause 
become debilitated ? Do you lack ambition, strength and 
vitality from any cause ? If so afflicted or if troubled with 
desease of any nature send a self-addressed stamped en- 
velope, with description of case, for full information con- 
cerning Professor Curtis’ lOZONE TREATMENT. It is 


142 


prof:sssob curtis, of Syracuse. 


endorsed by the clergy, the press, the medical profession 
and all intelligent persons who have investigated its 
merits. A five dollar treatment delivered free to one per- 
son in every town. Give both express and post-office ad- 
dress and enclose fifty cents to cover charges, boxing and 
delivery. In ordering ask for Treatment B.’^ 

Address CUBTIS lOZONE COMPANY, 

Syracuse, N. Y. 


CATAKKH CUBE. 

Professor Curtis has thoroughly demonstrated by his 
great discovery of lozone that this dreadful disease can be 
quickly and permanently cured. It makes no difference if 
the case has become chronic or medicines have failed. The 
lozone Treatment will cure it every time. It is neither 
drugs nor snuff, and should not be classed with patent 
nostrums. To introduce this new treatment on its merits 
we will deliver, charges prepaid, one regular five dollar 
treatment EPEE to any catarrh sufferer in the United 
States who sends us at once both express and post-office ad- 
dress and fifty cents to cover charges, boxing and deliverv. 
In ordering ask for Treatment C.” 

Address CUKTIS lOZONE COMPANY, 

^ Syracuse, N. Y. 

The results of skillful advertising were probably 
never better illustrated than in this particular in- 
stance. Soon the mails were swollen with letters for 
The Empire News Company and the Curtis lozone 
Company, and it was truly astonishing to see how 
many responsive chords the professor had touched 
with his magic wand. It was evident that the fool- 
killer had not made a tour of the country for some 


PE0FES80E CUETIS, OF SYEACUSE. 143 

time, or else, as Gilbert, the observing postmaster 
said, the people were crazy to get something for noth- 
ing, and thereby had been inveigled into a device 
from which they receive nothing for something. 

And the foolish publishers — those wise guardians 
of the people against the false whims and crooked 
schemes of the confidence man and the designing 
knave ! What kind word can I add that will in a 
measure compensate ' them for their disappointment 
in not receiving a single dictionary or encjmlopedia, 
or even an answer to a single letter asking for them ? 
Not one. 

The Professor — the silver-tongued god of eloquence, 
medicine, and the fine arts — tarried in Syracuse till 
the low rumbling of distant thunder admonished him 
of the approaching storm, when he, like the slippery 
Arab, folded his tent and silently stole away — to 
Minneapolis, leaving his younger brother to battle 
with the warring elements a while longer, when he 
too, was to silently steal away, and follow. 

But the storm gathered sooner than it had on pre- 
vious threatening occasions, and just as the brother 
had packed all there ever was of the Empire News 
Company and the Curtis lozone Company in one 
small trunk, and was about to step aboard a west 
bound New York central flyer, smiling Justice laid 
her warm hand upon his shoulder, and through the 
eloquent interpreter Dosser, said, “Don’t go,” and, like 
meek Moses, he gracefully consented to remain. 

When the elegant Apollo reached Minneapolis he 
induced another brother (it was a great family), who 
was himself a professor — a dancing master — and a 


144 PROFESSOR CURTIS, OF SYRACUSE. 


3’'0img man named Archdeacon, who did not have a 
dollar, blit who expected something from his father 
in far-away England, to allow themselves to be known 
as The Northwestern News Co. of Minneapolis. This 
Company (?) rented another fifth floor room, and its 
sole object of pretended existence was to buy out 
The Empire News Company and the Curtis lozone 
Company of Syracuse, and to receive the mail that 
the combination had ordered forwarded when the 
storm in Syracuse became tempestuous. 

The first lot forwarded from Syracuse after Alfred 
B. Osgood, (who by oversight had not changed his 
name,) had been arrested, contained thirteen hundred 
letters and two thousand postal cards. These letters 
like the others that followed, when they reached 
Minneapolis were by the carriers shoved through a 
hole in the door of the office of The Northwestern 
News Companjr, where they were quietly opened by 
Professor Curtis, who pocketed the money and looked 
wise. These strange proceedings so frightened the 
dancing master that he ran away to Kansas City, 
while poor Archdeacon, without waiting for his money 
from Wales, actually took to the woods. Did Pro- 
fessor Curtis also flee? Not then. 

By this time he had, under his own name, William 
Gardner Osgood, established a daily paper, and by 
the time I arrived in Minneapolis he had sold it to a 
rival, and had swindled very many people with whom 
he had had dealings. The atmosphere of Minneapolis 
had really become too oppressive for him, and, having 
cracked all of tjie golden eggs that had fallen into 
The Northwestern News Company’s basket, and 


PBOFESSOE CURTIS, OF SYRACUSE. 145 

having heard that he was wanted in Syracuse, he pur- 
chased a ticket, the day I arrived, and fled to that 
asylum for American thieves, robbers, and plunderers 
— Canada. 

In due time Alfred B. Osgood was arraigned for 
trial in the United States court, in Albany, before 
Judge Coxe. The trial lasted two days, during which 
time very many interesting details were brought out. 
The court room was constantly packed. Judge Slow, 
of Buffalo, assisted by the able elder Osgood, and a 
sprig from Minneapolis, were the polished counsel 
for the defendant; while District Attorney Lockwood, 
aided by his assistants, Mr. Hoyt and Colonel Welch, 
took charge of the prosecution. 

When Judge Slow wiped the perspiration from his 
brow, took a refreshing quaff, and entered the arena 
to address the jury, he was the image of a vanquished 
hero. Yet, being conscious of a solemn duty to per- 
form, he gently pressed the lever, and soon had 
soared into the mystical realms of blissful imagination. 
His allegorical flight was prolonged for nearly two 
short hours, during which time he liad painted and 
repainted in crimson and gold the immortal and 
spotless beauties of charity and sympathy, and, at 
last, when he wiped his tear-stained eyes and took liis 
seat, it occurred to many tliat he had omitted to 
mention the Syracuse fraud case. 

When this interesting and instructive panoramic 
scene had been carefully rolled away, another was 
introduced, which was different. When Mr. Lockwood 
arose to speak all eyes were turned to see, and all 

ears were turned to hear, and there was silence in the 
10 


146 PROFESSOR CURTIS^ OF SYRACUSE. 

court. Here was a man — a noble man — who had 
been a neighbor of the defendant’s father, and who 
had watched with pain for many years the tangled 
webs the sons were weaving. He knew it all. What 
would he say ? There was so much that he could 
say, and so little that he ought, perhaps, to say, that, 
to some, he appeared puzzled. 

He confined himself, however, closely to the evi- 
dence, which in itself contained enough hard and 
ludicrous facts to form the basis of a master address. 
His vivid pictures of the meek defendant, the gorgeous 
professor, and the unknown and mysterious Roberts, 
who had conspired to rob, by use of the mails, were 
alike charming and pathetic. He indulged in no 
fancy flights ; he called things by their right names ; 
his shots were aimed at the bull’s-eye every time, and 
in just forty-two minutes by the clock he had knocked 
the Syracuse fraud case sky-high, and had snatched 
away the glittering habiliments of deception from the 
interesting trio, which he held, as he turned to take 
his seat and receive the generous congratulations of 
the entire assemblage. 

There was little left to be done. The judge ad- 
dressed the jurors briefly, who scarcely left their seats 
before agreeing upon a verdict of guilty, and five min- 
nutes later the young man arose and was sentenced 
to prison. It was a sad scene, as such scenes gen- 
erally are ; but there would have been no tinge of 
sadness had Professor Curtis, of Toronto, been present 
to have received just a little of the reward that is 
awaiting him. 


PROFESSOR CURTIS, OF SYRACUSE. 147 

We are listening for his gentle footstep on the shore, 
and you can rest assured that when he comes, no 
man will give him a more joyous greeting than 
the Honorable Daniel N. Lockwood, of Buffalo. 



AN AWAKENING AT ALVIN. 


Alvin is a small town in eastern Illinois, a short 
distance north of Danville, and is a junction of a 
branch of the Wabash system with the Chicago & 
Eastern Illinois railroad. The place is large enough to 
stand the racket of a small brass band, but not of 
sufficient consequence to support a hotel or bakery. 
It was evident that either the postal clerk running 
on the Wabash branch or some person in the Alvin 
post-office was stealing ordinary letters and rifling 
registers. 

After a two-hours^ consultation on the case, by a 
committee of three, Henshaw, “Judge ’’ Bedell, and 
myself, it was unanimously decided that the work 
was not being done by the postal clerk. It was too 
well performed. No living being on a railroad train, 
by any known or unknown art, could cut and reseal 
a registered package envelope as artistically as these 
had been cut and resealed There was no record of 
any work of the kind that approached it. 

Could it be the postmaster at Alvin ? It certainly 
had that appearance, but he was a man who seemed 
as far above a crime of this kind as conception could 
conceive. He had not been disturbed. No one had 

149 


150 


AN AWAKENING AT ALVIN 


written to him and nobody had called. His suspicions, 
if he had any, had never been aroused. But there 
was certain information about the office we must 
possess, and we must know more about him and his 
methods. Yet, it would not answer for an Inspector 
to call on him on any pretense whatever. What 
should be done ? 

The postmaster was a druggist, and sold cigars ; so 
we decided to fit out Bedell as a cigar agent and let 
him call in the regular course of business and do a 
little drumming and pumping. A fancy case was 
borrowed of a regular Chicago dealer, into which was 
neatly packed a sample box each of McConnel’s Per- 
fectos. Con. Mehoney’s Shamrocks, Mrs. Kelly’s Pap- 
pooses. Carter Harrison’s Best, Fred Hill’s Favorites, 
and Tol. Lawrence’s Prides. A team was procured 
two stations north of Alvin, and down into the sleepy 
hamlet Mr. Brooks, the agent of Chesterfield, School- 
craft & Browning, quietly wended his way and pre- 
sented his card at the Alvin drug store and post- 
office. 

It was harvest time and mid-day trade was quiet, 
so of course Mr. Brooks found abundant opportunity 
to do business without being jostled about by appli- 
cants for tobacco and tanglefoot for medical purposes. 
His prices were the most reasonable of any agent 
who had called since the war ; but that was explained 
by the fact that this house alwa^^s surprised its cus- 
tomers with good goods and low prices, and this was 
Mr. Brook’s first trip through that section, and his 
first visit to Alvin. As a result he remained three 
hours, sold two dozen boxes of Perfectos, four dozen 


AN AWAKENING AT ALVIN. 151 

Pappooses, a whole case of Lawrence’s Prides, and 
went to dinner with the postmaster. 

When he reached Danville about four o’clock that 
afternoon, where he was to report to Henshaw and 
myself, he was radiant with the enthusiasm of well 
earned success. He had studied the Alvin postmaster 
as thoroughly as he did the ten commandments when 
a child; was present when the Wabash mail arrived 
and saw the postmaster distribute it alone for the 
Eastern Illinois going north ; sold him a fine bill of 
goods, which was not to be delivered on account of 
the pressing business of the house for two weeks; 
saw the postmaster lock up the office and went to 
dinner with him, after which he returned to the office 
and saw the postmaster endorse the registers and 
lock out the mail for the Eastern Illinois, north ; and 
everything had been done by the postmaster exactly 
as a thoroughly honest, upright, conscientious post- 
master would do it. 

There had not been the first false motion, word or 
suspicious circumstance, and he would wager his 
entire lot of samples that the postmaster was one of 
God’s noblest works — an honest man. 

He admitted, however, that the facts of the losses 
were stubborn and that the circumstances were pecul- 
iar, and, having now a good knowledge of all the con- 
ditions he thought the tests should be applied. 1 1 was 
accordingly arranged to remove from the Wabash 
mail every day for a week every registered letter of 
natural origin that would pass through the Alvin 
office, and substitute decoy or test letters. 

These would remain in the Alvin office about 


152 


AN AWAKENING AT ALVIN. 


two hours, when they would be placed in the 
postal car going north on the Eastern Illinois, where 
they could be hastily examined. It was more of a 
difficult task than the reader can imagine. The work 
.of preparing the test letters, so that they would ap- 
pear exactly like genuine ones that had been mailed 
at the various offices along the line of the road, oc- 
cupied several days, but by the end of the week we 
were ready to begin on the following Monday. 

Two lists of the letters to be sent through each day 
for six days, and a minute discrip tion of the contents 
of each letter, were prepared. Henshaw, who was 
to go along the Wabash and attend to the delicate 
task of removing the genuine and substituting the 
false ones, took one of the lists, and the other was 
retained by Bedell and myself, who were to examine 
the letters when they came from the office and were 
placed in the north bound car. It would necessarily 
become our duty also, in case anything was wrong, 
to strike while the iron was hot and secure the trans- 
gressor. 

On Monday the letters came through in good con- 
dition. Tuesday and Wednesday brought no good 
results- By making haste we could usually get them 
out of the pouch and have them examined before the 
train left the Alvin station. By so doing it would 
give us an opportunity to step off the train, and there- 
by save time, if the examination proved that the letters 
had been meddled with. 

On Thursday, while the train was still standing at 
the depot, we found our letters, examined them, and, 
as usual, pronounced them correct. The train pulled 


AN AWAKENING AT ALVIN. 


153 


out and had proceeded probably a mile before we had 
opened the letters to examine the contents, when, to 
our surprise, we discovered that two of the eight had 
been rifled and the money was missing. 

Quick as lightning the bell cord was pulled, and long 
before the engineer had come to a full stop, Bedell and 
myself could be seen walking hurridly down the track 
toward the station. We entered the post-office as coolly 
as though we had called for a prescription instead of 
a thief, and found the postmaster handing out the 
mail that had just been assorted. Bedell did not look 
as Brooks did and so he was not recognized. 

We waited patiently, listening to the torturing dis- 
cords of the Alvin Silver Cornet Band that was prac- 
ticing in the room above the store, till finally the 
patrons had departed, when I approached the postmas- 
ter and informed him of my unpleasant mission, which 
was, in effect, that some person in the Alvin post- 
office had, within the last three hours, abstracted ^67 
from the two registered letters that I held in my hand, 
and that my friend and myself had called to recover 
the money. 

“ Merciful God,” said the postmaster, “ it is impos- 
sible. No person handled those letters but myself; 
there is my endorsement ; so help me, I did not open 
them, and I swear with uplifted hand before my 
Maker that this is the truth.” As I turned to Bedell, 
as much as to ask if he ever heard such a falsehood, 
the gentle summer breeze wafted in something that 
admonished us that the silver cornets were trying to 
catch the air of “ Dan Tucker.” Bedell, feeling sorry 


154 


AN AWAKENING AT ALVIN, 


for the postmaster, the band, and me, turned to find 
relief by reading the labels on the bottles. 

I. told the postmaster that while I did not charge 
him with the crime I would like to have him satisfy, 
if he could, that the money taken from the letters 
was not then in his possession. To this he most cheer- 
fully assented, and search was made not only through 
his clothes, but through every conceivable place 
about the office and store where it could possibly 
have been secreted. 

At length we became satisfied the money was not 
there, but, of course, not satisfied that the postmaster 
had not taken it. I asked him if any person other 
than himself ever assisted in handling the mails, and 
he answered: “No one.” “Does not some person 
other than yourself have a key that will unlock either 
of your store doors ? ” “ Yes.” “ Who is that person ? ” 
“ It is George Havens, the leader of the band.” Turn- 
ing quickly to Bedell, I said : “ The leader of the 
band has a key to the rear door, and he steals in 
while the postmaster is at dinner.” 

Five minutes later the horn that once throufrh 
Alvin’s hall the soul of discord shed, now hung as 
mute on the band-room wall, as though that soul had 
fled, and George Havens had been called to account 
for appropriating to himself certain funds that had 
not been contributed for the purpose of buying in- 
struments, music, and flashy uniforms. But George 
had been around the world some himself, and had 
learned a few airs and quicksteps not mentioned in 
the books. He was a hard nut to crack. 

We labored incessantly with him till sundown, and 


AN AWAKENING AT ALVIN. 


155 


had taken the horns and band-room apart, had been 
through his residence, with his wife’s permission, 
from the bottom of the well to the top of the light- 
ning rod ; had torn up the floors of several neighbor- 
ing buildings ; had been through the brick-yard and 
the burying ground, and, in brief, had completely 
upset everything in Alvin looking for the $67 which 
we did not find. 

There could be but one conclusion. Either the 
leader of the band or the postmaster had the money, 
and we were agreed that it was not the latter. Asa 
last resort we decided to take Havens to Chicago, 
and, possibly on the trip up, or during the night in 
Chicago, we might get something from him that 
would clear away the mists. 

We reached the city at ten o’clock, without obtain- 
ing anything except the ride, and by 10:30 we had 
reached the office, where Stuart, whom we had in- 
formed of our coming by wire, was anxiously waiting 
to relieve us and spend the night with Havens. 
About four o’clock in the morning, Stuart’s burning 
eloquence began to be felt, and, by sunrise. Havens in 
tears had confessed everything he had been charged 
with, and told how he stealthily entered the rear- 
door of the office and committed the depredations 
while the postmaster was at dinner. 

Stuart and Havens left for Alvin on an early train 
to secure the money ; and as they were digging it up 
in a grove a few rods back of the Alvin post-office, 
the friends of Havens, who up to this time insisted 
that he was innocent, concluded, from the appearance 


156 


AN AWAKENING AT ALVIN 


of the valuable articles that were unearthed, that the 
treasures of Captain Kyd had at last been found. 

The postmaster, who was one of the finest gentle- 
men I ever met, was so efifected by this terrible affair 
that soon afterward he sold his business and moved 
away. Brooks gave his remaining samples to Stuart, 
while poor Havens went to play B flat in prison. 


CAUGHT WITH A SCRAP OF PAPER. 


The post-office at Attica, Indiana, had been 
robbed. Unknown persons had entered it through a 
rear window sometime during Sunday night, and on 
Monday morning when the mailing clerk arrived, the 
stove was scattered in fragments around the floor, 
the letter boxes had been emptied, the safe blown 
open, its entire contents missing, and the room still 
retained a strong odor of powder. 

It was a genuine robbery, and, for a place of the 
breadth and thickness of Attica, it was something 
much more than an ordinary, every-day affair. The 
postmaster had barely enough money left to wire for 
help. 

When I arrived on Wednesday he informed me 
that no strange persons were seen in town prior to 
the robbery, but that on Monday morning about six 
o’clock, two young men called at the residence of Mr. 
James Beasley, a farmer residing about six miles 
eastward, and wanted to engage him to take them to 
Thorntown, a distance of about twenty miles as an 
Indiana crow flies. Beasley was a busy farmer, and, 
not being in the livery business, declined. 

They then asked the distance to the nearest station 

157 


158 CAUGHT WITH A SCliAP OF PAPER, 


on the Wabash railroad, and when Beasely informed 
them, they told him if he would hitch up and take 
them over they would give him a dollar and a half 
for his trouble. 

Beasley said he would do it, just to be accommo- 
dating, and by so doing made a blunder. If he had 
told them he would do it for two dollars and a half 
he would have been engaged just the same, and 
Beasley saw his mistake, as a great many others do, 
when it was too late. 

The only vehicle handy that morning was a small 
buggy containing one seat, and into this the three 
men placed themselves, Beasley in the middle, and 
proceeded to ride to the railroad. While Beasley was 
hitching up it occurred to him that it was very sin- 
gular that two fine-looking, well-dressed gentlemen 
should call at his house so early in the morning and 
want to hire him to take them to Thorntown, and 
finally be satisfied with a mile and a half ride for 
a dollar and a half, which was a dollar a mile, to 
another place. 

His curiosity was thoroughly aroused, and when he 
got into the buggy with them he intended to look 
them over very closely indeed, and give them a few 
questions to crack. 

Scarcely had they started before he asked them 
how it happened that they came along so early. 
“ Have not been w'alking. all night, have you,” he 
asked with a laugh? 

The larger one of the two then told Beasley about 
his lovely home in Kansas ; about his poor mother 
dying in Ohio ; about being on the way to her 


CAUGHT WITH A SCRAP OF PAPER. 


150 


funeral ; about meeting Mr. Cushman, the other gen- 
tleman, on the train ; about Mr. Cushman being on his 
way to Cornell University, and last, though not least, 
about the wreck on the I. B. & W., which compelled 
them to leave the train and get across the country to 
the Big Four or the Wabash. The reason he men- 
tioned Thorntown particularly was because he had a 
wealthy aunt residing there, and he was thinking some 
of stopping to make her a short visit. 

“ But what do you carry in that roll, wrapped in 
light paper, sticking up through your inside coat 
pocket ?” asked Beasley. 

“ A present for my aunt,” was the laconic reply. 

Turning to Mr. Cushman, the quiet gentleman 
who was on his way to college, Beasley asked: 
“What are you carrying those iron articles for in 
your overcoat pocket, that I’m sitting on ; you are 
not going to open a hardware store in connection 
with the school, are you ? ” 

Just then they came to a bend in the highway and 
the depot was visible only a short distance ahead, 
and just at that instant, without stopping to answer 
the question, Mr. Cushman and the big fellow jumped 
out, and the big fellow said they guessed they would 
walk the remainder of the way. 

“ All right,” said Beasley, who stopped his horse 
and commenced to look for a good place to turn 
around. On his way back he said to himself : “ they 
are a queer pair.” They were soon out of his mind 
however, and in a few minutes more he was home at- 
tending to his chores, just as though he had not re- 
ceived one-fifty for almost nothing. 


160 


CAUGHT WITH A SCRAP OF PAPER. 


Tuesday morning the weather was a little lowering, 
so he concluded to drive into town and learn how 
many were killed in the I. B. & W. wreck. When 
he learned that there had been no wreck on the I. B. 
& W. or on any other railroad, he said to Mrs. Beas- 
ley : “ How could those fellows, whom I carried yes- 
terday morning, have had the audacity to tell me such 
a cold-blooded falsehood ? ” 

A few minutes later when Mrs. Beasley had heard 
of the robbery, she answered the question. 

In my interview with Beasley, he informed me 
that he looked the young men over very closely, and 
so firmly were their features impressed upon his 
mind that he could pick them out of ten or fifteen 
thousand. I had never met a more sanguine man. 
I arranged with him to take a few days’ vacation, 
and, in less than an hour and a half after my arrival 
in Attica, I was waiting at the railroad station with 
Beasley for a train to take us to Indianapolis. 

Thorntown, from Beasley’s house was directly on 
a line toward Indianapolis, and, while there were 
many other stations nearer to Beasley’s, Thorntown 
was the only one between LaFayette and Indianapolis, 
where every train that passed over the road was sure 
to stop. Here was a water tank' whose supply was 
never exhausted, and this fact we assumed the rob- 
bers knew, as well as some others. They knew if 
they could reach Thorntown by Monday night they 
would be able to catch a south-bound freight that 
would land them in Indianapolis, and no one would 
be the wiser. 

All day Thursday, we looked for the mysterious 


CAUGHT WITH A SCRAP OF PAPER. 


161 


strangers in Indianapolis. We went everywhere 
where such persons would likely be. A thousand 
men I saw who looked something like them, but every 
time I called Beasley’s attention to them, he would 
say, “ No.’' To the captains of the police Beasley 
described the men minutely. They could think of 
none who answered the descriptions in every partic- 
ular. Beasley examined the pictures in the rogue’s 
gallery and in every other gallery, and all without 
success. 

The captains said they would wager their lives that 
the men did not belong to Indianapolis. If they' 
were looking for them they should go straightway to 
Dayton, Ohio, ‘‘ where,” said they, “ more thieves hang 
out than in any place in North America, with the 
possible exception of Windsor, Canada.” It is true 
if these men belonged to Dayton, they would liave 
taken exactly the same course to reach home that 
they would have taken to reach Indianapolis. 

Friday morning bright and early found us in 
Dayton, waiting for an interview with the Chief. 
Presently he came, and to him and two of his assist- 
ants I told the story and Beasley described the men. 
They had a man there who answered the description 
of Cushman, the quiet gentleman, and they also knew 
one who answered for the large one, but they had not 
heard that he was out of prison yet. 

Handing Beasley an album, containing the pictures 
of a few of the well-known notables, the chief asked 
him to see if he could recognize any of them. Scarce- 
ly had Beasley commenced to turn the leaves of 
the book before his eye caught a familiar face, and, 


162 CAUGHT WITH A SCRAP OF PAPER. 

jumping from his seat, he said: “That’s the big 
fellow.” 

“ This was Tettman,” they said, “ one of the most 
accomplished safe workers in the State, and the little 
red-headed fellow, whom you describe, is Reddy 
Jackson, a quiet hard-working robber, though not as 
renowned as the former.” 

The officers assured us that if these men were in 
Dayton, they would be only too happy to find and 
deliver them to us, and with this end in view every 
policeman in Dayton was notified to search for them, 
and to run them in if possible, while Beasley in high 
glee took a position on a prominent corner to scan 
the passing throngs. 

About seven o’clock that evening word came over 
the wire to head-quarters that Tettman and Jack- 
son had been safely landed in one of the station houses. 
It was quickly arranged to remove them to the county 
jail, a more secure place, and it was desired to have 
Beasley stand just outside the door of the station 
house, so that when the prisoners were marched out 
to enter the patrol wagon, he might get a good look 
at them under an electric light, and thereby make 
sure that they were the ones we wanted. 

When they passed him he turned to the crowd, 
and with much complacency said : “Them’s the fel- 
lows.” 

Afterward, while interviewing one of the officers 
who made the arrest, as the men were coming out of 
a notorious saloon, he told us that when he told 
Tettman that he wanted him, Tettman instantly put 
a piece of paper in his mouth and commenced to chew 


CAUGHT WITH A SCRAP OF PAPER. 


163 


it. The officer did not like the looks of the operation 
and he grabbed the man by the throat and ordered 
him not to attempt to swallow what he was chewing. 

After considerable of a struggle he secured a por- 
tion of the piece of paper, which he handed to me 
saying: “I don't know as it amounts to anything, 
but I was afraid it might, and so took the precaution 
to prevent its destruction ; soiTy I was not quick 
enough to get it all.” The little scrap of paper con- 
tained the following memoranda : 

12,427 at 2c. 248.54 

3,240 “ 4c. 129. 

747 “ 5c. 3 

892 “ 10c. 

165 speci 
400 du 

On the preliminary examination before the com- 
missioner in Dayton they fought bra vely. Their case 
was managed by the best counsel that could be ob- 
tained, who attempted to prove that Tettmaii and 
Jackson were in Dayton the day before the robbery 
in Attica, the day of the robbery, as well as the day 
after. 

In fact there was very little proof necessary for 
^ their side that they did not produce, but the quality, 
unfortunately for them, did not equal the quantity. 

Beasley’s straightforward story was accepted by 
everybody, and when we proved by the postmaster 
from Attica that the number and the denomination 
of the stamps stolen from his safe corresponded pre- 
cisely with the number and the denomination as 


104 CAUGHT WITH A SCRAP OF PAPER, 


noted by Tettman on the little slip of paper, which 
he attempted to swallow, the case was closed and the 
prisoners were sent to Indianapolis for trial. 

On the trial the. same character of evidence was in- 
troduced by the defendants. Ours was also similar, 
though in addition to that introduced in Dayton, we 
proved that a novel and ingenious brace found on 
Tettman’s premises in Dayton, which contained ir- 
regular and unnatural features, and which left the 
same impressions on the safe, was the only brace in 
existence that could have performed the work which 
the Chief of Police in Attica pronounced “ex- 
quisite,” 

The jury was out just five minutes, and two hours 
later the two distinguished travelers, who mistook 
Beasley for a chump, were enjoying a free ride to 
Michigan City, where they are still industriously 
working for the State, cracking pig iron instead of 
safes. 


VAN ZANDT AND HIS WIVES. 


As far back as I was ever able to trace the pedi- 
gree of Hank Van Zandt, I found evidences of bad 
blood, and very much to support the old and well 
established law of nature, that “ like begets like.” 
There had been something wrong with his great- 
grandfather, something decidedly irregular with his 
grandfather, and something worse with his father. 

In each succeeding generation the inevitable marks 
of the unalterable decree were stronger, and before 
Hank was hardly big enough to smoke cigarettes, it 
was observed that there wasn’t a straight hair in his 
head ; and before he was fifteen it was prophesied by 
good prophets that all the meanness of the old Van 
Zandts was likely to be developed with accrued in- 
terest in the tender sprout. 

And the prophets were right ; for, by the time 
the little Van Zandt had become of age, he could 
have made his entire line of ancestors blush at their 
weakness ; while at twenty-five, some of them, I 
think, would have disowned him, and swore they 
never spelled their names that way. 

He had now killed a woman in Wisconsin and a 

165 


166 VAn ZANDT ANIf BIS WIVBS, 

cow-boy ill Texas. He had burned several buildings 
after he had robbed them ; had stolen several horses 
in Iowa ; had kidnapped a girl near Kalamazoo; had 
married four others, all of whom were living ; had at- 
tempted to shoot several of his wives’ relations ; had 
robbed the Express Company three times ; had run 
away with a red-haired girl from Sturgis, and was 
now at work trying to steal the earth, or, what is 
next to it, rob the United States. 

When I tell you that up to this time he had never 
seen the inside of a jail, nor had ever felt the cruel 
touch of a stern officer, you can probably form an in- 
distinct idea of the wonderful acuteness, to say noth- 
ing of the remarkable audacity and treachery, he had 
inherited from his illustrious forefathers. 

The little trick that first called my attention to 
him was this : He had picked up a weekly paper 
published at Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, which con- 
tained a personal notice that read as follows : 

“ Mrs. Charles B. Smith, of Manchester, N. H., is 
on a visit to her sister, Mrs. Richardson, of this place. 
Mrs. Smith is also accompanied by her little daugh- 
ter, who, we regret to say, is quite ill. Mr. Smith, 
inconsequence of the sickness of the child, is expected 
soon.” 

Van Zandt proceeded to Hammond, Indiana, a 
flourishing town twenty miles from Chicago, on the 
.Michigan Central railroad, where he sent a telegram 
to Mrs. Smith in her husband’s name, staling that 
while getting lunch some thief had snatched his pocket- 
book, containing his money and ticket, and asked 


Van zANDf AND ms wivM. 


167 

her to forward to him, at Hammond, |25 dollars by 
money-order that day, so that he could proceed. 

The money-order came promptly on the following 
day, and Van Zandt obtained the money with very 
little difficulty. He then proceeded to the station to 
wait for a train to take him out of town, but before 
one came the postmaster received a message from the 
postmaster at Fort Atkinson requesting him not to 
pay the order, as Mrs. Smith had just informed him 
that her husband had notified her by letter that he 
would not leave Manchester till that day. Some- 
thing wrong. 

Immediately the assistant postmaster sought, the 
village marshal, who was a holy terror to evil-doers, 
and the two proceeded to the depot to arrest the pre- 
tended Smith. Arriving on the spot Smith was 
identified by the assistant postmaster and the mar- 
shal proceeded to nab him ; but Smith was not that 
kind of a traveler, and declined to be nabbed. He 
was a powerful fellow, and after a blow or two aimed 
at each of the officers the pabbing business was post- 
poned for awhile. 

Smith dodged among the stores and packing estab- 
lishments for an hour or more, closely followed by a 
crowd of blacksmiths and butchers, bakers and bar- 
bers, till finally he was overpowered and securely 
housed in the village lock-up, where a guard was 
placed over him till arrangements could be made to 
take him to jail. 

Two hours later, when quiet had been restored, and 
there was no one around the calaboose save the 
watchman and the prisoner, the latter asked the for- 


168 


VAN ZANBT ANB IllS WIVNS. 


mer if he wouldn’t be kind enough to go over to 
Cornwall’s and get him a bag of tobacco ? Of course 
he would ; so, after locking up securely, he proceeded 
to Cornwall’s, procured the tobacco and returned to 
the prison to find it deserted and alone. 

^ The stranger who wanted tobacco, had raised a 
board in the fioor and had tunneled out, leaving only 
his coat and hat. An hour later a small bareheaded 
man drove into town saying he had met a highway- 
man, who demanded his hat and other articles, which 
he had been forced to surrender. Soon afterward a 
large coatless sufferer arrived with a similar story. 
It was then getting dark, and, of course, the crowd 
of searchers found nobody that night, nor ever after- 
ward. 

Not long afterward Van Zandt worked the same 
scheme in another Indiana town, and thereby pro- 
cured a hundred dollars, while in several places he 
was successful in getting away with smaller amounts. 
Afterwards he joined a band of robbers in the Penn- 
sylvania mountains, where he remained a few months. 

Residing on a farm near Wadena, Minn., was an 
aunt — the father’s sister — and this aunt had been in 
the habit of hiding her nephew whenever he was too 
f closely pursued ; and knowing it would not be long 
before he would be seeking his relative’s protection, 
I arranged with one of her unkind neighbors, who 
knew her and did not love her, to let me know by 
wire whenever Hank turned up. 

It was scarcely two weeks before I received a mes- 
sage announcing the arrival of the gentleman on the 
farm. Bedell went with me, and, as soon as we 


VAN ZANBT AND illS WIVES. 1G9 

reached Wadena, we quietly arranged with two 
others to go out and help us bag the game. Just 
as we were leaving town behind a splendid pair of 
horses we met the aunt driving into town behind 
another fine pair of steppers. The farm was six miles 
distant, and there were two roads leading to it, of 
equal length, which came together about a quarter of 
a mile from it. 

No one in Wadena knew where we had gone or 
what we had gone for, but we had not proceeded a 
mile before we could distinctly see across on the other 
road the lively aunt spinning homeward just as has- 
tily as her horses could take her. Instinct, of the 
keenest kind, told her what those four men were up 
to the minute she met them ; and the four men could 
easily guess what she was up to the minute they saw 
her taking the back track. 

The roads were fine and the race was spirited. 
Both teams were now on the run, and the excitement 
was intense. Where the roads came together the 
festive female was seen standing, vigorously apply- 
ing a rawhide to the foaming animals. We crowded 
her very closely at this point and managed to enter 
the yard of her house side by side. . 

The house stood on a slight eminence and from it 
we could have been seen down the road fully a mile 
and a half. Just before we reached it Van Zandt 
was observed to come out, cross the yard and enter 
the barn. Instinct had also told him something. 

As quickly as possible we proceeded to surround 
the barn, but we were a hundredth part of a minute 
too late. Before the door on the rear end could be 


VA2f ZANDT AND BIS )VlVB8, 


m 

reached, and just as Bedell was within six inches of 
it, Van Zandt slipped through and ran like a deer for 
the woods. 

The woods were about sixty rods away and when 
he reached them, and commenced to shoot from be- 
hind the trees, we were closer to him than we wished 
we were. 

When we returned for our team we discovered that 
the tongue of the furious aunt was hung in the 
middle and that it was longer than her pedigree ; and 
after we had endured its merciless lashings for a few 
minutes we drove away with considerable respect for 
the pedigree. 

We were under the impression that Van Zandt, 
thinking danger was over, would return to the aunt’s 
house that night after dark, so we planned to make 
another visit ; and at about midnight, when every- 
thing was quiet, a party of eight, each armed with a 
Winchester, started out from Wadena in two loads. 
When near the house the horses were tied and the 
men formed a large circle, in the centre of which 
were the premises to be searched. 

Silently the men came closer and closer till all met 
around the house and barn, and, 3^011 can take my 
word for it, there wasn’t a spot as big as Van Zandt’s 
cheek for half a mile around that was not pretty 
throughly turned over ; and we found nothing to re- 
pay us for our trouble except the venomous old lady, 
who still had her war paint on. 

There were a few other places in that part of the 
country which we thought it would be wise to visit 
that night ; so we took them all in with no good re- 


Van zandt ANb ms wives, i7l 

suits, and at 7 o’clock that morning when we reached 
Wadena, and stacked arms in the hotel we were very 
badly knocked out, and would have sold ourselves 
very cheap had there been any buyers. I offered 
Bedell to the landlord as a runner for fifty cents, 
and even that was declined ; and afterward a propo- 
sition to give him away was also spurned. 

Shortly after this, however. Van Zandt came to 
grief in Janesville, Wis., where he was accidentally 
picked up on suspicion of being another man, but 
fortunately proved to be the gay deceiver that a short 
time before had married a country school-teacher 
near there, who, when it was too late, ascertained 
that he had at least four other wives, all alive and in 
good health. 

The following day we tried to arrange with the 
local authorities to turn him over to the government, 
but the complaining lady would not consent. She 
was mad through and through, and would be satis- 
fied with no compromises or concessions. She wanted 
to learn Mr. Van Zandt that he couldn’t trifle with 
her affections and be happy afterward ; so he got five 
years in the State prison, which was a year for each 
wife. 

We filed a detainer, and when his time is out he 
will be taken to Indiana to answer to the Hammond 
affair and several others. When he has served his 
time for these offenses he will be turned over to the 
Express Company, and when he has served his time 
for robbing the Express he will be shot — if the father 
of the red-headed girl holds his bigness, and keeps 
his word. 



BLACK ART IK CINCINNATL 


Mr. Quinsey of Cincinnati was not an Apollo; 
neither had he ever assumed a name other than his 
own. He had never conducted a scheme to defraud 
by use of the mails ; nor had he ever robbed a post- 
office or shot any body ; yet his character is so in- 
teresting that I cannot, in justice to myself, omit 
a passing notice. 

Quinsey was known as a mesmerist, a ventriloquist, 
an illusionist, a prestidigitator and a master of the 
Black Art, and occasionally in “pleasing sorcery that 
charms the sense ” he would entertain audiences at 
church fairs, picnics and the like for simple fees, 
while he found much pleasure amusing friends gra- 
tuitously at their homes, at his home and sometimes 
at his place of business. 

One evening, at a little entertainment given by 
himself in neighboring Glendale, after he had knocked 
the spots off of several decks of cards ; after he had 
taken half a dozen watches that belonged to people 
in the audience from the janitor’s pocket ; after he 
had received communications from departed spirits ; 
<ifter he had removed the head from a beautiful wora- 

1T3 


174 


BLACK ABT IN CINCINNATI. 


an and had made the removed head talk ; after he 
had paralyzed four men and a woman on tlie stage 
and had allowed the committee to stick pins in them, 
and after the curtain had dropped, one of the awe- 
stricken auditors, who had been instrumental in in- 
troducing Mr. Quinsey in Glendale, asked the won- 
derful magician why he did not follow this business 
in preference to any other ? 

The professor smiled blandly and appeared silent, 
but a voice that seemed to come from the bakery 
underneath the hall, was heard to remark in a deep 
melodious tone : “ He has something better.” 

Quinsey was superintendent of what was known as 
the iiiglit set in the registry division of the Cincin- 
nati post-office, and his hours of labor were from 
10:30 P. M. to 7 A. M. In this set were employed six 
or seven clerks who worked under the superintend- 
ant’s direction, and vvho performed practically tlie same 
kind of work that he did. It was their duty to prop- 
erly record all registered matter that arrived in Cin- 
cinnati between 4 r. m. and midnight from the various 
railroad lines centering there, rebill it and pouch it in 
the through registry pouches to be dispatched in the 
morning. 

There were something like thirty bills to make out, 
and the same number of pouches to properly close 
and send out. When the mails were running heavy 
the clerks never had a minute to spare, butAvlien 
they were light, as they frequently were one or two 
nights each week, there was some opportunity for 
sociability and innocent amusement. 


BLACK AliT IN CINCINNATI, 


175 


On these occasions Quinsey would sometimes tell 
the boys how easy it was for people to be mistaken ; 
how much quicker was the hand than the eye; how 
it was that frequently things Avere not Avhat they ap- 
peared ; how easy it was to deceive the keenest intel- 
lect by doing something different than your actions 
would indicate, and how figures and objects are 
materialized and made to do their master’s bidding. 

Sometimes he would illuminate his ideas by a few 
practical illustrations, and after the young men had 
seen him shake any number of big silver dollars, a 
wheelbarrow full of handkerchiefs, a’nd a lot of lan- 
terns from a common gesture, and, in transfixed 
amazement, had beheld ordinary registered letters 
vanish before their eyes, without being able to tell 
where they went, they longed for the nights to come 
when the work Avas light. Quinsey Avas immense ! 

About this time, while in Chicago, Kidder came 
to me for conference Avith an armful of documentary 
evidence of skillful depredations. Here Avere the en- 
velopes in which registered letters had from time to 
time been mailed at offices in Southern Indiana, Ohio, 
Kentucky, and West Virginia, addressed to offices in 
all portions of the great NortliAvest, and Avhich had 
been rifled of large portions of their contents. Every- 
one of the letters had passed through the Chicago 
post-office, Avhere they had been handled during the 
night time. At first glance one would say it surely 
indicated trouble in Chicago. 

But Avliy, if the thief Avas in Chicago, did he confine 
himself to operations on the letters from this par- 
ticular section, Avhen he could probably have access to 


176 


BLACK ART IN CINCINNATI. 


those from any other as well. A few minutes later 
when we discovered that everyone of the letters re- 
ferred to had also passed through the Cincinnati 
office, and in every instance had been dispatched from 
that office in the morning in through pouches to Chi- 
cago, Kidder adjusted his eye-glasses, and offered as 
a reward, for the capture of the villain, a claim near 
that beautiful minature salt-water sea, known as 
Devil’s Lake in Dakota. 

On the following morning when I tapped Herrick 
on the shoulder in Cincinnati, and asked who wrote 
the Chicago registry bills at night that were dis- 
patched in the morning, he answered, “ Quinsey,” 
and seemed so amused at my question that he asked 
why I wanted to know. 

“ For the reason that I think whoever is doing it 
is too inquisitive.” 

“Well, if its Quinsey, I am afraid we’ll have our 
hands full to catch him, for he’s just a little bit the 
slickest man in America. He does all the seemingly 
impossible things ever heard of, and he does them 
right before your eyes, too. Quinsey is absolutely 
marvelous. Why, one night I was in the registry 
room looking around when, suddenly, I discovered 
my watch was gone. I had looked to see what time 
it was when I entered. Well, a little later somebody 
found it in the Boston pouch, with a tag on it marked : 
‘ Covington.’ ” 

“ Yes,” said Salmon, who was listening, “ and I 
understand he charms birds, too ; while somebody told 
me a few days ago that at cards he was so expert 
that nobody would sit in with him ; that when it came 


BLACK ART IN CINCINNATI. 


177 


his deal he could hold anything he wanted ; that the 
high cards, figuratively speaking, would come to him 
in carriages ; and remain till after the show-down.” 

The next day I went to Lexington, Ky., and while 
there I wrote a letter to Mr. Abram Hayden, of 
Aberdeen, Dakota, on one of the letter-head sheets 
of Mills, Jackson & Johnson, which read as follows : 
“ Dear friend Abe : 

Jim Turner was in from East Hickman half an 
hour ago and left the enclosed $200 for me to send to 
you, and he said you would know how to use it. He 
has just sold a car-load of mules to Springer, of Cin- 
cinnati, but he said he believed there was more profit 
in loaning money at 20 per cent, in Dakota, than there 
was in raising mules in Kentucky at present prices. 

Say, Abe, when are you coming back after Mary ? 
1 heard Min. Stevens and some of the girls in her set 
say it was considered a sure thing. Hope it is ; for of 
all the real fine blue-grass girls around these parts I 

think Mary is the well never mind, old boy, if 

I wasn’t married I’d try and prevent her going to 
Dakota. You better hurry up. 

Jim just stuck his head in the door and told me to 
tell you if you couldn’t get a gilt edge loan at 20, not 
to let it go less than 18. Jim is a cuss. 

I suppose your brother wrote you what happened 
up at Gil. Harper’s recently. 

If the cyclones haven’t got you by the time this 
reaches Aberdeen, write. 

Very truly, your friend, 

Frank N. Mills.” 


12 


178 


BLACK ART IK CINGIKNATL 


This letter I registered at Lexington and at night, 
about 11 o’clock, when I had followed it into the 
Cincinnati post-office, Herrick and Salmon were in 
the money-order division on a step-ladder, peering 
through a glass transom into the registry division. 
As soon as possible I joined them, and patiently we 
waited for Quinsey to turn a trick. 

It was exactly two A. M, when he commenced on the 
Chicago bill. He reached the letter from Lexington 
at precisely 2:45. It was fat and tempting. Herrick 
was on the top of the ladder at that instant, and he 
sent a peculiar thrill of surprise through me when he 
turned and whispered : 

“ Hush, hush, he has picked it up. 

“Now he’s feeling of it. 

“ He’s looking at the back of the R. P. E. (the 
outside envelope) to see how well it’s sealed. 

“ He’s laid it down and placed a book over it ; 
somebody is moving around. 

“ It’s quiet now and he’s looking at the back again. 

“ Hush, don’t move, he’s carefully feeling again. 

“It’s under the blotter now; somebody at the 
other table got up to get a drink. There’s no one at 
his table but himself. 

“ Hush now, he’s making a close examination to 
see how well its sealed. 

“ Hush now, for God’s sake don’t move ; he’s try- 
ing to open it with his knife. 

“ Hush, hush, hush, he’ll have it opened in an in- 
stant. 

“Its open now, and he’s looking at the letter en- 
velope very closely. 


BLACK ART IN CINCINNATI. 


179 


“ There, d — n it, some fellow has moved again and ’ 
he’s shoved it under the blotter. 

Hush, hush, don’t stir ; he’s feeling of the letter 
again. 

“ Hush, don’t breathe, he’s trying to raise the flap 
of the envelope ; it comes up hard ; don’t move.” 

“ There, there, there, he’s got it up. 

“ Hush, he’s got the money out and is reading the 
letter.” 

“ He’s smiling as he reads. 

“We must open the door and rush in now.” 

“ Come, be quick and be quiet ; you know he’s 
chain lightning.” 

“ The door’s unlocked ; now, all together, go ! ” 

An instant later there was a flutter, and all was 
over. The great conjurer had at last performed an 
illusion that was not optical — ^an act not mentioned 
on the bill. 

Applause. Curtain. Prison. 


1 







MY NELLIE’S BLUE EYES. 


About a year ago we received a communication 
from Mr. Horatio Simmons, a farmer residing a few 
miles out of Spokane Falls, Washington Territory, 
which revealed a new, novel, and highly interesting 
method of securing wives and husbands. To the un- 
married this story will possess unusual interest, while 
the married can smile at the follies of others, and at 
the same time realize what they have missed. 

Mr. Simmons wrote, that having become weary of 
living alone, and real nice girls being very scarce in 
his section, he decided to advertise for what he wanted 
in a matrimonial paper published in Chicago, and that 
several months prior to the date of his letter to us 
he inserted the following notice : 

“Wanted: Lady correspondents with view to 
matrimony. Must be under 25, with light hair and 
blue eyes. Correspondents will please send photo- 
graph and describe themselves fully in the first letter, 
as I have no time to waste writing to those who 
would be unsuitable. Am a bachelor and farmer, 
and mean business. 

Hokatio Siivimons, 

Spokane Falls, 
Wash. Ter.” 

181 


182 


MY NELLIE'S BLUE EYES. 


Mr. Simmons informed us that in response to his 
“ ad.” he received two hundred and nineteen letters, 
and that out of that number of pictures and descrip- 
tions he selected eighteen ladies, whom he thought 
would pass muster. He did not intend to marry the 
entire eighteen, so he decided to write to each of them, 
who, of course, would write to him again, and it was 
his idea that from the eighteen second letters he would 
be able to narrow the available ones down to possibly 
one or two. He succeeded admirably, and narrowed 
the list down to one, and that one was Miss Nellie 
F. Smith, 18 West Third Street, New York. 

A very loving correspondence was carried on for a 
couple of months or so, when they became engaged. 
Mr. Simmons’ letters were kind, but always had a 
business sound. Miss Nellie’s were very tender, and 
a thousand times she told her Horatio that she longed 
so much to be with him. She was tired of the bustle of 
the city, and she knew her bright anticipations of the 
country would be fully realized, especially if he was 
always with her. 

His picture was ever before her. In her walks, in 
her rides she was constantly thinking of him and the 
happiness that was in store for them . She had learned 
to milk and churn, while on a short visit to her aunt’s 
near Utica, and she knew she would be of great ser- 
vice on the farm. She dearly loved to work, although 
she had never been obliged to do much. “ Darling 
Horatio, when are you coming ? ” 

It was then the busy season and Mr. Simmons had 
so many interests to look after that he did not see 
how he could spend time to go to New York, so he 


MY NELLWS BLUE EYES. 


183 


arranged with his blue-eyed lassie to come on to Spo- 
kane alone, where he would meet her at the train, 
when they would be married ; and to enable the lady 
to carry out this arrangement he sent her a draft for 
1125. 

Miss Smith acknowledged the receipt of the draft 
with one of her sweetest efforts, and added that she 
thought she should get away by the following Monday, 
but would write again on Saturday and let him know 
just what train she would leave on, so that he would 
know when to meet her. She wrote on Saturday 
that she would leave on Tuesday morning at nine via 
the Erie. 

Naturally Mr. Simmons was watching the trains 
with a great deal of interest three days after he re- 
ceived the last letter, but instead of embracing his 
Nellie as he expected, no one came that resembled her. 
He looked for a letter and received this, which had 
been mailed on an Erie postal car, but which was 
dated at Binghamton : 

“ This is to certify that a beautiful young lady, who 
had been taken suddenly ill on the train, and who 
was brought to my office in a very low condition, 
cannot, in my opinion, recover. In her conscious 
moments she whispers lovingly of you, and she has 
asked me to notify you of her pitiful condition. She 
will likely die to-night, when her remains will be tur- 
ned over to her relatives, whom I have notified by 
wire. 

(Signed.) 


Fkanklik Scribner, M. D. 


MY NELLIE'S BLUE EYES. 


:’34 

This was a crushing blow for a man to receive on 
what he had anticipated would be the happiest day of 
his life, and it is doubtful what would have become of 
the disconsolate man had he not sought the postmaster 
at Spokane, into whose ears Horatio poured his tales 
of woe and lamentation. 

The postmaster was a shrewd fellow, and when he 
called Mr. Simmons’ attention to the wonderful 
similarity existing between the capital letters in Dr. 
Scribner’s signature, and those made by Nellie when 
she had written “Spokane Falls,” you could have pur- 
chased all of Simmons’ interest in Washington Ter- 
ritory for much less than the amount he sent to New 
York. 

Who was Miss Nellie F. Smith? No. 18 West 
Third Street, New York, was occupied by a small 
cigar store and news stand. The two carriers on the 
route informed me that they always liad from six to 
twenty letters a day for Miss Smith, who, of course, 
they never saw. But on one occasion when one of 
the carriers had called with the mail he observed a 
colored man, to whom the proprietor handed the let- 
ters for Miss Smith. The colored man was likely the 
messenger who carried the mail to the one who was 
playing the part of the fair correspondent. 

All that it would be necessary to do to locate the 
mysterious person would be to put a watch on the 
place, and when the colored man called and went 
away with the letters follow him and see where he 
went. Very simple. So it would seem, but the 
young man who sliadowed him away three times, and 
lost him each time within three blocks, will tell you 


MY MELLIE’S BLUE EYES. 


185 


that the darkey was the “ cuniiingest coon ’’ he ever 
tackled. 

About the time we were watching West Third 
Street we received another communication, somewhat 
similar to the one from Simmons, from Lester Rich- 
ardson, a young widower residing at or near Phoenix, 
Arizona. Mr. Richardson had also advertised in the 
Chicago papers for a blue-eyed, light-haired wife, 
who would be kind to his little daughter, and who 
was fond of children. Among those who had an- 
swered his advertisement, he said, was Miss Nellie F. 
Smith, a milliner, who resided near the Pavonia 
postal station in Jersey City, to which station he had 
always addressed her. He had sent her rfl50 to aid 
her in procuring her wedding outfit, since which 
time he had received no Avord from her. It was now 
conclusive that Miss Smith meant business also. 

At the Pavonia station Ave learned that a colored 
man called sometimes for tlie letters and sometimes 
a colored Avoman called, and that about thirty ordi- 
nary letters and half a dozen registers came addressed 
to Miss Smith each week. There Avere then in the 
office, eleven ordinary and three registers for her, 
waiting to be called for. We decided to make short 
work of the scheme, and, Avith that end in view, I 
camped doAvn in Pavonia to Avait for something to 
turn up. 

No one came that day, although several epistles 
from an enchanting distance were added to the accu- 
mulations. On the following morning bright and 
early, I was again at the Pavonia post-office, watch- 
ing and waiting for the soft shadow of a dark cloud. 


186 


MT NELLIE’S BLUE EYES, 


About four o’clock in the afternoon patience was re- 
warded by the appearance of a sable gentleman, who 
was as affable as a bunko engineer. 

After he had secured all the mail for Miss Nellie, 
as he called her, I appeared and informed him that 1 
had a little business to transact with Miss Smith, and 
I would like her address, or if it pleased him better, 
I would go with him and call on her. 

He could not give me her address* and neither 
could he allow me to go Avith him to call on her without 
her consent. The lady did not desire any new ac- 
quaintances, and she received calls only from her old 
friends. Very reserved ! 

I informed him that the lady had been conducting 
an unlawful business, which, in its conception, was 
deeper than the mud in Bradford, and that if he re-- 
fused to show her up we Avould certainly arrest him 
and lock him up for aiding Miss Smith in defrauding 
her susceptible countrymen. 

He would sooner suffer the pangs of endless tort- 
ure than reveal the whereabouts of the crafty creat- 
ure, so, without further ceremony, we called a horse 
car and directed the conductor to let us out at the 
county jail. On our way over to this well-known 
establishment Dosser noticed the defiant and drama- 
tic gentleman slyly take something from his pocket 
and quietly slip it under the car seat. 

After we had taken from him all of the letters ad- 
dressed to Miss Smith, and after we had put him 
away in a nice warm cell, we glanced at the myster- 
ious article Avhich he had placed under the seat, and 
which he supposed was still there, and found that it 


MY NELLIE^ S BLUE EYES. 187 

was the fat bank book of Alexander Brown, who had 
an account at the Lincoln National, New York. 

It was then too late to ascertain anything from the 
bank that day, but on the following morning ^ve 
learned upon inquiry that Alexander Brown resided 
at Mountain View, N. J., which was a small station 
on the D. L. & W. about five miles from Paterson. 
I lost no time in getting to Mountain View, where I 
learned from the postmaster that Alexander Brown 
was unquestionably the gentleman then in jail in 
Jersey City, and that his wife, who was also quite 
accomplished, had gone to New York two hours be- 
fore to ascertain why her husband did not return 
home the night before. 

I wired Dosser that Mr. and Mrs. Brown were 
surely the people we wanted, and that Mrs. Brown 
was then in New York or Jersey City, and most likely 
would return to Mountain View on the Lackawanna 
train leaving Pavonia either at 4:30 or 5:15 that 
afternoon, and that I thought he and Hartshorn 
should go to the station and arrest her when she 
came to take the train. 

Accordingly they secured the postmaster to identi- 
fy her and stationed themselves in the ladies’ wait- 
ing-room to await her coming. She did not come to 
the 4.15, but about five o’clock she opened the door 
and entered with a triumphant air. “ That’s her,” 
said the postmaster, whom Mrs. Brown had not seen. 

The room was filled with ladies waiting to take the 
train, when Dosser blushingly approached the dusky 
enchantress, and in a very gentlemanly manner, 
touched his hat and modestly asked : 


188 


MY NELLIE^ S BLUE EYES. 


I beg pardon, but is this Mrs. Alexander Brown 
of Mountain View ? ” 

Turning upon him with the scorn of a demon she 
replied in a manner that attracted the attention of 
all the ladies present; “ No, this not Mrs. Alexander 
Brown of Mountain View, and I would like to know, 
sir, why you assume to insult me so grossly?” 

Tlie ladies waiting were astonished at the scene, 
and when Hartshorn, who stood beside Dosser, asked 
“ Are you not Miss Nellie F. Smith then ? ” the ex- 
citement became intense. 

The Ethiopian queen raised her crested head and 
tuneful voice, and, with snapping eyes, screamed : “ I 
will no longer bear the insults of designing men. I 
am a respectable lady and demand protection, call the 
police.” 

A pandemonium scene ensued, and while Dosser 
was vainly attempting to assure the waiting, frantic 
passengers that no harm was intended, and while 
Hartshorn was closely following Mrs. Brown with 
soothing words, the depot policeman entered to quell 
the riot. Just as the policeman was reaching for 
Hartshorn the little postmaster turned up and said: 
“ touch him not ; he is all right and knows what he is 
about.” 

By this time the ticket agent had worked his way 
out into the crowd to take a hand in restoring order, 
and, quite fortunately, he recognized the postmaster 
who explained the matter and a minute later peace 
reigned and the dashing Mrs. Brown was on her way 
to jail. 

While at Mountain View, on the pretense that I 


MT NELLIE’S BLUE EYES. 1 9 

was an Insurance Agent, around examining risks, I 
obtained an entrance to the home of the Browns to 
ascertain if there was anything lying around that 
might result in spontaneous combustion. If you 
could have seen the hundreds of photographs of both 
young and old men, and the thousand love letters ad- 
dressed to Miss Nellie F. Smith that I discovered in 
the large front room upstairs, you would have done, 
as I did, — seated yourself among the inflammable evi- 
dences of folly and wondered at the weakness of 
mankind. 

That evening after I had returned to New York 
with the quantity of interesting spontaneous matter 
that I had gathered at Mountain View, and had 
noted with pleasure the forty ordinary letters, the 
five registers and the four express money packages 
addressed to Miss Nellie F. Smith, 18 West Third 
Street, New York, which Dosser and Hartshorn had 
found in Mrs. Brown’s small traveling bag when it 
was searched at the police station, it looked to us 
very much as if Babylon had fallen. 

After Mrs. Brown had remained in jail a few 
weeks she stated that her husband was the origi- 
nator of the magical scheme, and that he had car- 
ried it on almost without her aid from the begin- 
ning. He corroborated the statement, whereupon 
the District Attorney entered a nolle prosequi in 
Mrs. Brown’s case, while Alexander slipped into the 
penitentiary at Trenton as easily as if he had slid in 
on a toboggan slide covered with castor oil. 





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REMOVED BY DEATH. 


AN UPKIGHT MAN. 


My good friend Richard Blackstone had lived lon^ 
beyond his alloted time and had been postmaster at 
the little town of Springdale for upwards of fifty years. 
Here he first saw the light of this beautiful world, and 
here he grew from innocent childhood to noble man- 
hood ; here, too, from his meridian to the mellow sun- 
set of life, he had spent his uneventful years in happi- 
ness and contentment. 

He had watched the coming and the going of many 
in his time, and had mingled in the joys and sorrows 
of several generations. His little office was the 
welcome resting-place of the rich, the poor, the 
strong, the weak, the young, the old. Some came 
for counsel, some for advice, and a good, kind, im- 
partial father was he to every one for many miles 
around. 

He was the first person the children became 
acquainted with, and of all the people in and around 
Springdale, there were scarcely any who could notice 

191 


192 


REMOVED BY DEATH. 


that he had changed much since they were children ; 
and, so long had he been the faithful servant of the 
people, no one seemed to realize that some day, some 
time, he, too, would be called upon to go. 

It had been my custom, since I had become ac- 
quainted with him, to call whenever I was passing 
and spend an hour listening to the good things he 
would say. I always gathered from him little chunks 
of practical wisdom that served to make my own life 
brighter, and I never bade him good-bye when I felt 
that I had remained too long. 

A visit to the comfortable and cheerful home of 
this venerable old gentleman was one of the pleasures 
I anticipated with much interest and enjoyed more 
than all others. I always felt when with him that I 
was in the presence of goodness and godliness. In the* 
presence of a man to whom an impure thought was a 
stranger, and whose sublime Christian virtues, like 
precious stones, shone bright when contrasted with 
others less radiant. 

One lovely day last autumn I called again to visit 
my dear old companion, and, as I left the train, I lis- 
tened sadly to the mournful music of the village bells. 
Yonder, slowly wending its way along the shaded 
streets, was a long train of mourners, bowed in grief ; 
and the former signs of activity about the place were 
hushed in peaceful silence. 

As I passed a pleasant home I asked a tiny child 
at the gate the cause of this solemn occasion, and 
she said: ‘‘Why, don’t you know? Uncle Dick has 
gone to heaven to ’tend the letters.” 


liEMOVEB BY DEATH. 


103 


Overcome with grief I joined the weeping relatives, 
friends, and neighbors, and followed the old man to 
his grave ; and there, among the melancholy scenes, 
I spent the saddest day of all my life. 


END. 



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“A STRONG MIND IN A SOUND BODY.** 


I OI^OSB^’S 

VITALIZED PHOSPHITES 


CompcJaed of the Nerve-Giving Princij)Ie8 of the Ox-Brain and the Embryo 
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FOR 21 (EUyiS BEEI TOE STUOtOD REMEDV Wim FUISICIIIIIS 


^lio Treat Mental and tiTervons Disorders. 

It is the bestffemedy ever used to enrich the blood; thus giving a toft, 
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required. It aids in the bodily, and wonderfully in the mental growth of 
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.Comp[ex/o/7p^ 

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DEDICATED 


JOLOR. 


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COMPLEXION 

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It imparts a brilliant traoBS*- 
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For sale by all Druggists 
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Beware of Imitations. 






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FIRST-CLASS RAILROAD 

Penetrating the mort attractive portions of 

Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michloan, Minnesota, 
Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming. 


The Direct Route 



Milwaukee, Waukesha, Madison, M^nah 
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all California, Alaska and 
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ITS 




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CoBSisting of 

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Between CHICAGO and destinations, Is carefully arranged 
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M. WHITMAN, 

General Manager. 


H. C. WICKER, 

Traffic Manager. 


E. P. WILSON, 

General Passenger Agent. 




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